FOUNDATION OF INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR

Meaning of Individual Behaviour

Individual behaviour means some concrete action by a person. It means how an individual behaves, reacts or responds in a given environment. The behaviour of an individual is influenced by various factors. Individual behaviour is the function of person, environment and organization. B = f ( P,E,O) B= Individual behaviour P= Person E= Environment O= Organization

Factors affecting individual behaviour

Personal factors:
Age Education Gender Religion Marital status Creativity

Psychological:

Personality
Perception Attitudes Values Learning

Individual behaviour
Organizational systems and resources:
Physical facilities Organization structure and design Leadership Reward

Environmental factors: Economic

Social cultural Legal Political

Personal factors
1. Age:
Age has impact on performance, turnover, absenteeism, productivity and satisfaction. As age advances, performance is likely to decline. Younger people are likely to change jobs to avail better job opportunities but as one grows old, the chances of his quitting job are less. Older people tend to absent more from their jobs due to unavoidable reasons e.g. poor health. But younger people absent due to avoidable reasons e.g. going for vacation. Old age results in reduced productivity. In an organization which are subject to dramatic changes, older employees get less job satisfaction as they start feeling obsolete.

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2. Education:
Level and type of education has a great effect on individual behaviour. Increased level of education serve to increase an individuals expectations about positive outcomes. ( more satisfying job, higher income level etc.) Type of education whether generalized or specialized can also affect individual behaviour.

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3. Gender:

Gender has impact on absenteeism and turnover. Tendency to change the jobs and abstain from work is likely to be higher among females than among man employees. ( family responsibilities)

4. Religion :
Religion has great effect on individual behaviour. People who are highly religious are supposed to have high moral values.

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5. Marital status:
It has impact on absenteeism, turnover and satisfaction. Married employee have fewer absences, undergo less turnover and are more satisfied with their jobs than unmarried. Marriage imposes more responsibilities hence need for steady job and steady income.

6. Creativity :
It refers to the cognitive activity that results in a new way of solving problem. Creative person have high level of energy, high level of confidence, strong belief, independence etc.

Environmental factors
1. Economic factors:
Various economic factors which directly or indirectly affect the individual behaviour: a) employment opportunities b) wage rates c) general economic environment d) technological development

2. Social cultural factors:

Social environment of an individual includes his relationship with family members, friends ,colleagues etc. Every individual has a cultural background. Work ethics, achievement need, effort reward expectations and values having a great impact on the individual behaviour.

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3. Legal factors:
Rules and laws are formalized and written standards of behaviour. observing the laws voluntarily allows for predictability of individual behaviour.

4. Political factors:
Political climate can affect individual behaviour. Stability of government can effect employment opportunities and these in turn impact employee behaviour. Companies are reluctant to invest large sums of money in a politically instable country.

Organizational systems and resources

1. Physical facilities:
Like lighting, ventilation, air conditioning, space provided, equipment have an influence on employee performance.

2. Organizational structure and design:

What is the reporting system? How are the lines of communication established among different employees? The behaviour of the employees is influenced by where the person fits into the organizational hierarchy.

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3. Leadership :

An organization establishes a system of leadership and supervision to provide direction, assistance, advice etc. Behaviour of individual is influenced by leaders behaviour.

4. Reward system:
The behaviour of an individual is influenced by the reward system. Rewards are given for the purpose to motivate the employees.

Psychological factors
1. Personality:

Personality refers to the attributes of an individual which make him or her different from others. It refers to the personal traits like dominance, aggressiveness and other qualities reflected through a persons behaviour.

2. Perception :
Perception is the viewpoint by which one interprets a situation. Eg: A railway booking clerk facing a well dressed person perceives him to be of a high status and talks to him nicely, whereas he may tend to ignore an ill dressed person or make him a wait, though both the passengers want first class tickets.

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3. Attitudes :
It may be defined as the way a person feels about something, person, place, thing, a situation or an idea. Persons attitude towards a given situation can be ascertained by measuring and understanding his or her behaviour.

4. Values:
According to Milton Rokeach: Values are global beliefs that guide actions and judgements across a variety of situations. Values represent basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct is personally or socially preferable to an opposite mode of conduct. Values carry an individuals ideas as to what is right, good or desirable.

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5. Learning:
Learning is permanent change in behaviour through education, training, practice and experience. Eg: if a person is thinking of using drugs, but has not actually used them and he finds that a friend of his has died because of drugs, he will never involved with drugs. This experience has changed his behaviour potential.