Individual Behavior and Learning

1. 2 C H A P T E R Individual Behaviorand Learning T W O

2. Assessing Competencies at EMC When EMC was about to dramatically expand its work force, an executive team at the enterprise storage products firm developed an “Employee Success Profile.” This list of generic competencies represented the traits of successful employees, such as goal-orientation and integrity. Courtesy of EMC Corp.

3. Role Perceptions Motivation Ability Situational Contingencies Model of Individual Behavior Individual Behavior and Performance

4. Types of Work-Related Behaviors • Joining the organization • Remaining with the organization • Maintaining work attendance • Performing required job duties • Exhibiting organizational citizenship

5. Definition of Learning A relatively permanent change in behavior (or behavior tendency) that occurs as a result of a person’s interaction with the environment.

6. Behavior Modification • We “operate” on the environment • alter behavior to maximize positive and minimize adverse consequences. • Operant versus respondent behaviors • Law of effect • likelihood that an operant behavior will be repeated depends on its consequences

7. Antecedents What happens before behavior Behavior What person says or does Consequences What happens After behavior Attendance bonus system is announced Employee attends scheduled work Employee receives attendance bonus A-B-Cs of OB Modification Example

8. Contingencies of Reinforcement Consequence is Introduced No Consequence Consequence is Removed Behavior Increases/ Maintained Positive reinforcement Negative reinforcement Punishment Extinction Punishment Behavior Decreases

9. Schedules of Reinforcement • Continuous reinforcement • Fixed interval • Variable interval • Fixed ratio • Variable ratio

10. OB Modification Limitations • Can’t reinforce nonobservable behavior • Reinforcer tends to wear off • Variable ratio schedule is a form of gambling • Ethical concerns about perceived manipulation

11. Learning through Feedback • Any information about consequences of our behavior • Clarifies role perceptions • Corrective feedback improves ability • Positive feedback motivates future behavior

12. Supervisor Customer Project leader Co-worker Co-worker Subordinate Subordinate Subordinate Multi-Source (360 Degree) Feedback Evaluated Employee

13. Giving Feedback Effectively Specific Effective Feedback Relevant Frequent Credible Timely

14. Social Learning Theory • Behavioral modeling • Observing and modeling behavior of others • Learning behavior consequences • Observing consequences that others experience • Self-reinforcement • Reinforcing our own behavior with consequences within our control

15. Learning at International Forest Products At International Forest Products Ltd., employees receive hands-on, just-in-time learning from coworkers on the job site, not just in the classroom. Courtesy of International Forest Products Ltd.

16. Learning Through Experience • Benefits of experiential learning • Helps acquire tacit knowledge/skills • Allows implicit learning • Practicing experiential learning • Reward experimentation • Recognize mistakes as part of learning • Action learning -- investigating a real problem

17. 2 C H A P T E R Individual Behaviorand Learning T W O