The  Individual  

•  The   influence   of   individual   differences   in   the  form  of  ability  and  biographical  characteris:cs  on  employee  performance  and  sa:sfac:on  

Ability  •  An  individual’s  capacity  to  perform  the  various  tasks  in  a  job  

•  An  assessment  of  what  one  can  do  •  Know   how   people   differ   in   abili:es   and   use  that   knowledge   to   increase   the   likelihood   of  employee  performing  well  

Intellectual  Ability         The   capacity   to   do  mental   ac:vi:es   such   as  thinking,  reasoning  and  problem  solving    

Dimensions  •  Number  Ap:tude  (Accountant)  •  Verbal  Comprehension  (Plant  Manager)  •  Perceptual  Speed  (Fire  Inves:gator)  •  Induc:ve  Reasoning  (Market  Researcher)  •  Deduc:ve  Reasoning  (Supervisor)  •  Spa:al  Visualiza:on  (Interior  Decorator)  •  Memory  (Salesperson)      

Physical  Ability         The   capacity   to   do   tasks   that   demand   stamina,  dexterity,  strength  and  similar  characteris:cs  

Strength  Factors  •  Dynamic  Strength  •  Trunk  Strength  •  Sta:c  Strength  •  Explosive  Strength  Flexibility  Factors  •  Extent  Flexibility  •  Dynamic  Flexibility  Other  Factors  •  Body  Co-­‐ordina:on  •  Balance  •  Stamina  

 

Biographical  Characteris:cs           These   are   objec:ve   in   nature   and   easily  obtained  from  personal  records  

•  Age  •  Gender  •  Race  •  Religion  •  Length  of  Tenure  

Learning           A   rela:vely   permanent   change   in   behavior  that  occurs  as  a  result  of  experience  

•  Learning  involves  change  (Good  or  Bad)  •  Change  must  be  ingrained  (+  ve  or  –  ve)  •  Experience   is   necessary   for   learning  (Observa:on  /  Prac:ce  /  Reading)  

Theories  of  Learning  

•  Classical  Condi:oning  •  Operant  Condi:oning  •  Social  Learning  

Classical  Condi:oning  •  A   type   of   condi:oning   in  which   an   individual  responds   to   some   s:mulus   that   would   not  ordinarily  produce  such  a  response  

•  Example:   Dog,   Meat,   Bell   and   Saliva:on  Experiment  by  Scien:st  Pavalov  

•  Meat;  No  Bell                                  Dog  Salivates  •  No  meat;  Ring  the  Bell                                No  Saliva:on  •  Meat  &  Ring  the  Bell  Together                                                                        Dog  Salivates  

•  Meat                                Uncondi:oned  S:mulus           This   leads   to  uncondi:oned   response   (react   in   a  specific  way)  

•  Ringing  the  Bell                            Condi:oned  S:mulus           Reac:on   was   originally   neutral,   but   eventually  responded   when   paired   with   an   uncondi:oned  s:mulus  

       This  is  condi:oned  response  •  When   compelling   s:muli   is   paired   with   a   neutral  s:muli,   the   neutral   one   becomes   a   condi:oned  s:mulus   and   hence   takes   the   proper:es   of   the  uncondi:oned  s:mulus  

•  This  condi:oning  is  passive  in  nature        

Operant  Condi:oning  •  A  type  of  condi:oning  in  which  desired  voluntary  behavior   leads   to   a   reward   or   prevents   a  punishment  (Scien:st  –  Skinner)  

•  Behavior  is  a  func:on  of  its  consequences  •  Crea:ng  pleasing  consequences  to  follow  specific  forms   of   behavior  would   increase   the   frequency  of  that  behavior  

•  This   is   in   the   form   of   posi:ve   reinforcement   or  rewards  

•  This   condi:oning   follows   the   concept   of  behaviorism,   which   argues   that   behavior  follows   s:muli   in   a   rela:vely   unthinking  manner  

•  Example:   If   you   are   paid   incen:ve   and  promoted   in   your   performance   appraisal   for  the   over:me   you   do,   it   is   likely   that   you   are  going   to   repeat   the   behavior,   otherwise,   you  are  going  to  decline  the  over:me  

Social  Learning  

•  The   view   that   people   can   learn   through  observa:on  and  direct  experience  

•  The   existence   of   observa:onal   learning   and  the  importance  of  percep:on  in  learning  

•  People   respond   to   how   they   perceive   and  define  consequences  

•  The   influence   of   models   (ROLE   MODELS)   is  central  to  the  social  learning  view  point  

Four  Processes  that  determine  the  Influence  a  Role  Model  has  on  the  Individual  

•  A_en:onal  Process:  When  they  recognize  and  pay  a_en:on  to  their  model’s  cri:cal  features  

•  Reten:on   Process:   How   well   the   individual  remembers  the  model’s  ac:on  

•  Motor   Reproduc:on   Process:   Aaer   observing  the  new  behavior  exhibited  by  the  model,  the  watching  must  be  converted  to  doing  

•  Reinforcement   Process:   Individuals   are  mo:vated   to   exhibit   the   model   behavior   if  posi:ve  incen:ve  or  rewards  are  provided  

Shaping  Behavior  •  Systema:cally   reinforcing   each   successive   step  that   moves   an   individual   closer   to   the   desired  response  

•  Posi:ve  Reinforcement    •  Nega:ve  Reinforcement                      •  Punishment  •  Ex:nc:on            •  Here,   the   first   two   reinforcements   results   in  learning   as   they   strengthen   the   behavior   while  the  other  two  weaken  the  behavior  

Scheduling  of  Reinforcements  •  Con:nuous   Reinforcements:   Reinforcing   a   desired  behavior  each  :me  it  is  demonstrated      Ex:  Compliments  •  Intermi_ent   Reinforcement:   Reinforcing   a   desired  behavior   oaen   enough   to   make   the   behavior   worth  repea:ng  but  not  every  :me  it  is  demonstrated  

•  This  intermi_ent  can  be  of  two  types  •  Ra:o   Schedule:   Depends   on   how   many   responses   the  subject  makes  

•  Interval   Schedule:   Depends   on   how   much   :me   has  passed  since  the  previous  reinforcement  

   

This  is  further  is  classified  as    Fixed  or  Variable  

•  Fixed   Interval  Schedule:  Spacing   rewards  at  uniform  :me  intervals    Ex:  Weekly  Paychecks  •  Variable   Interval   Schedule:   Distribu:ng   rewards   in  :me  so  that  reinforcements  are  unpredictable    Ex:  Pop  Quizzes  •  Fixed  Ra:o  Schedule:   Ini:a:ng  rewards  aaer  a  fixed  or  constant  number  of  responses    Ex:  Piece  Rate  Pay  •  Variable  Ra:o  Schedule:  Varying  the  reward  rela:ve  to  the  behavior  of  the  individual    Ex:  Commissioned  Sales