Managing Individual Work

The foundation of organizational behavior is the individual employee. In the

following, we look at basic understanding of individual behavior, differences in individu and
work behavior, and personalities- are discussed in more detail.
1. Individual Differences and Work Behavior
a. Individual differences have a direct effect on behavior
eople who perceive things differently behave differently
eople with different attitudes respond differently to directives
eople with different personalities interact differently with bosses, coworkers,
subordinates, and customers.
b. Individual differences help e!plain"
#hy some people embrace change and others are fearful of it
#hy some employees will be productive only if they are closely supervised, while
others will be productive if they are not
#hy some workers learn new tasks more effectively than others.
2.Understanding Individual Behavior
$eys variable in understanding individual behavior are"
a. %ttitude
%ttitude a mental state of readiness. It is evaluative statement concerning ob&ects,
people, or events.
'haracteristics of attitude"
1. %ttitudes are learned
(. %ttitudes define one)s predispositions toward given aspects of the world
*. %ttitudes provide the emotional basis of one)s interpersonal relations and
identification with others
+. %ttitudes are organized and are close to the core of personality.
b. ersonality
ersonality is a relatively stable set of feelings and behaviors that have been
significantly formed by genetic and environmental factors.
,ome -a&or .orces Influencing ersonality"
1. /ereditary 'ontribution
The impact of heredity on personality is a very active but stil unsettled area of
understanding. The problem is that geneticists face a ma&or obstacle in gathering
information scientifically on the human being.
(. 'ultural 'ontribution
Traditionally, cultural factors are usualy considered to make a more siiignificant
contribution to personality than biological factors. 'ulture is the key concept in
analysing the content of learning because what a person learns has a content.
*. .amily 0elationship
The family probably has the most significant impact on early personality
development. The parents play an especially important part in the identification
process, which is important to the person)s early development. %lso, a substansial
amount of empirical evidence indicates that the overall home environment created
by the parents, in addition to their direct influence, is critical to personality
development.
+. ,ocialization rocess
1esides the biological, cultural, and family influences on personality, there is
increasing recognition given to socialization process. It is especially relevant to
organizational behavior because the process is not confined to early childhood2
rather, it takes place throughout one)s life. In particular, evidence is accumulating
that socialization may be one of the best e!planatiions for why employees behave
the way they do in today)s organization.
c. erception
Is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in
order to give meaning to their environment. ersonal characteristics affecting
perception inlude attitudes, personality, motives, interests, past e!periences, and
e!pectations.
d. 3earning rocess
Is any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of e!perience.
3. Individual Differences in the Workplace
4. Increase Your ffectiveness in !hanging "ttitudes
/ow to Increase 4our 5ffectiveness in 'hanging %ttitudes"
a. 'oncentrate on gradually changing the attitude over a period of time
b. Identify the beliefs or values that are part of the attitude and provide the attitude
holder with information that will alter those beliefs or values
c. -ake the setting 6in which the attempted change occurs7 as pleasant and en&oyable as
possible
d. Identify reasons that changing the attitude is to the advantage of the attitude holder.
,ummary"
The field of organizational behavior is concerned with the cations of people-
managers and operatives alike- in organizations. $ey variables in understanding individual
behavior are attitudes, personality, perceptions, and learning processes. %ttitudes are evalative
statements concerning ob&ects, people, or vents. ,ince individuals seek to minimize
dissonance, a knowledge of an employee)s attitudees can guide managers inpredicting his or
her behavior. Individuals differ in terms of personality traits. %n understanding of personality
difeerences can be especially valuable in matching personality types with compatible &obs.
erceptions is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions
in order to give meaning to their environment.
0eferences"
1. 0obbins, ,tephen . 189+. -anagement" 'oncepts and ractices. :ew ;ersey"
rentice-/all, Inc.
(. Ivancevich, ;ohn -. (<<=. erilaku dan -ana&emmen >rganisasi, 5disi $etu&uh.
;akarta" T ?elora %ksara ratama
*. 3uthan, .red. 1898. >rganizational 1ehavior, .ifth 5dition. @nited ,tates of %merica"
@niversity of :ebraska
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