Unit 2: Managing Individuals
Organizational behavior focuses on how individuals interact within a firm. As you know, different incentives motivate and influence individuals; some people strive for success or social status, others just like to keep busy, and still others are focused on simply making money. These are important differences to consider if you are at the helm of a business, as it may influence the ways in which you motivate your workforce.
In this unit, you will explore individual personalities and learn what inspires people to want to succeed in the workplace. You will learn the tools used to identify these traits and recognize that certain traits, such as the ability to handle stress, are more desirable than others in a work setting. Note that different organizations will value traits differently. For example, perhaps your organization values a sense of humor more! Knowing these traits and how to identify them in people will greatly enhance the success of a business.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 23 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- discuss the effects of physical and mental environments on workers;
- assess workplace behavior as a product of attitudes toward work;
- discuss elements that influence a person’s perception;
- evaluate emotional intelligence and relate it to individual performance;
- correlate the effects of motivation on performance;
- illustrate what a manager can do to improve motivation; and
- outline various approaches to job design.
2.1: Individuals
Now that you understand the role of organizations in business, let's take a look at the role of individuals. This first reading will focus on work behaviors. As you read, focus on how attitudes, perception, personality, values, and even the work environment serve to influence a worker's performance.
2.1.1: Attitudes
This video expands upon one of the topics we've just introduced: attitudes. As you listen to and watch the video, take note on how someone's attitude can influence their satisfaction on the job. As a manger and as an employee, how can you use this information in your workplace?
The chapter goes into greater detail on how attitudes affect work behaviors. As you read, focus on understanding cross-cultural differences in job attitudes and behaviors at work.
2.1.2: Persuasion
Watch this video to learn more about power and politics in the organization. We will discuss these topics in much greater detail in Unit 4.
2.1.3: Stress and Emotions
Stress and emotions are two critical elements that influence a person's perception. As you read this chapter, think also about the role that emotions play in behavior, and to the concept of "emotional intelligence". Pay particular attention to the concepts of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. How do these concepts relate to individual performance? The chapter concludes with a discussion on the role of national culture on stress.
Review this presentation. As you read, think about your own experiences in dealing with emotion and burnout in the workplace. What role does emotion play in contemporary organizations? How has this changed over the past 100 years? What factors may have contributed to this? How do the physical and mental environments of workers affect them?
2.2: Employee Job Performance
This lecture correlates motivation with performance. We first take a look at two theories of "how" workers are motivated: equity theory, which is your perception of being treated fairly in comparison with others in the workplace, and expectancy theory, which examines your perception of achieving success in the workplace. As you watch, consider a time when you may have been treated unfairly or differently than others. How did this make you feel? Were you more of less motivated to perform well?
2.2.1: Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)
Both formal and informal communication play a large role in the development of satisfaction in the workplace. Read this article to understand how effective communication can lead to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), a desirable concept in the workplace. Think about the five dimensions of OCB: conscientiousness, sportsmanship, courtesy, civic virtue, and altruism. How many of these dimensions are present in your workplace? How can you employ better communication in your environment?
This article continues our discussion of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Read about the positive link between employee engagement and OCB. What type of link would you predict exists between employee engagement and counterproductive behavior?
Workplace bullying can negatively affect the physical and mental environments of workers. Spend some time reading this short article pertaining to a recent trend that has been emerging in workplaces: workplace bullying. Here you can gain insight into the definitions and occurrences of workplace bullying, as well as how to prevent it from occurring.
2.2.2: Absenteeism
This article tells us that absence behavior is influenced by the characteristics of a job and quality of leadership in the workplace, the values and expectations of the employee, and their domestic or financial situation. As you read, think about how motivation can impact an employee's work attendance.
2.2.3: Turnover
Skim this article and think about some of the reasons people leave their jobs and how this might be related to burnout and turnover. How are burnout and turnover related to motivation? As a manager, what can you do to lessen the duel impacts of burnout and turnover in your organization? Also, think back to our discussion on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). What is the relationship between burnout and OCB?
Think about your experiences in dealing with turnover in the workplace. What are the factors that lead to turnover? How might a manager minimize turnover in the workplace? As you review this presentation, make note of the steps you can take to address this concern in your work environment.
2.3: Motivation
This chapter discusses the basic needs of employees in the workplace. As you read, concentrate on the role of motivation in determining employee performance. Think back to our discussion on equity theory. How are fairness perceptions determined and what are the consequences of these perceptions? You will also read about motivational theories and how you can use these theories to improve motivation in your workplace.
Watch this video to learn more about needs theories and how understanding these theories can help you to improve motivation in your organization. Focus on some of the more popular theories, such as Maslow's Need Hierarchy and and McClelland's Need Theory. How can you apply these theories to better motivate your employees?
Read this chapter to gain more information about needs-based and process-based theories of motivation. What additional information can you use on you job to motivate your employees?
2.3.1: Job Design
This chapter covers the history of various job design approaches. As you read, consider how you may increase the motivating potential of a job.
Watching this video about the various approaches to job design. What steps can you take to design a job that will produce high levels of motivation, performance, and job satisfaction? How can your approach to job design lower absenteeism and turnover?
2.3.2: Goals
- Read this short paper to discover how goal setting leads to motivation. How can you apply this skill to your organization?
2.3.3: Improving Organizational Performance
When we think about organizational performance, we must consider the concept of a high performance work system (HPWS). This chapter discusses high-performing work systems and how to better organize a business for effective performance. What steps can you take to create a high performance work system in your organization?
Read this case study. "Process mapping" works hand-in-hand with setting goals. Process mapping first considers how all organizational processes are currently being performed. Then, it looks at how processes "should" be performed according to procedures. Finally, it outlines how processes "could" be accomplished if greater efficiency is to be maximized. Think about how the act of process mapping could be used as an approach to job design.
2.4: Emotional and Social Intelligence
Emotions influence our behavior, our decision making and our relationship building. Review this article and think about how your expression of emotion contributes to your overall well-being. Take notes on the key concepts of emotional intelligence, including emotional regulation and expression of emotion. Think about how emotional intelligence relates to workplace performance.
Watch this video to learn more about social perception and how it differs based on your mental map. Think about what your perceptions are based upon and how they are developed. Focus also on the concept of attribution, both situational and personal. Finally, consider how you explain the causes of behavior. How do you explain how others act? How can gaining an understanding of others' behaviors and how they are influenced help to increase performance in your organization?
Unit 2 Assessment
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.
