Chapter 15- Individual Behavior in Organizations

Person-Job Fit

Extent to which an individual’s knowledge, skills, experience, and personal characteristics match job requirements.

Reasons for Poor Person-Job Fit

• Selection procedures are imperfect

• People and organizations change

• Individual differences

Big Five Personality Model

1. Extraversion

2. Agreeableness

3. Conscientiousness

4. Emotional Stability

5. Openness to Experience

Locus of Control

Belief about whether outcomes are controlled internally or externally.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in one’s ability to perform a task.

Authoritarianism

Belief that power and status differences are appropriate.

Self-Monitoring

Ability to adjust behavior based on external cues.

Type A Personality

Achievement-oriented, impatient, perfectionistic.

Machiavellianism

The extent to which someone is emotionally detached and manipulative

(being an unbiased person, which can be good in the workplace when making hard decisions)

Self-Esteem

Belief in one’s overall self-worth.

Risk Propensity

Willingness to take risks and make risky decisions.

Attitudes definition

Predispositions to react in a certain way toward people or things

Components of Attitudes

• Affective component- feelings and emotions

• Cognitive component- knowledge; explains why you feel that way

• Intentional component- how you expect to behave

Job Satisfaction / Dissatisfaction

Reflects how fulfilled or gratified someone feels about their work.

How Job Satisfaction affects an organization

Higher satisfaction = lower absenteeism (less absences from work)

Higher satisfaction = lower turnover

High satisfaction does NOT necessarily increase job performance

How to Decrease Turnover

Careful hiring

Letting poor performers go

Competitive pay & benefits

Generosity and gratitude

Employee recognition

Work-life balance

Engagement

Prioritize happiness

Growth opportunities

Improve performance reviews

Inclusive vision

Show respect

Employee Recognition – 4 Ways It Improves Retention

1. Strengthens cultural connection and reduces burnout

2. Supports diversity, equity, and inclusion

3. Builds community

4. Creates psychological safety

Organizational Commitment

Degree of identification with and attachment to the organization.

Committed Employees Tend to:

• Have reliable habits

• Plan longer tenure

• Work harder

Organizational Commitment Strengthens with:

• Age

• Years in Organization

• Job Security

• Participation in decision-making

Cognitive Dissonance

Discomfort when attitude and behavior are inconsistent.

Perception

Process of receiving, organizing, and interpreting information from the environment.

Attribution

Judging the cause of someone’s behavior as internal or external

Selective Perception

Screening out information that contradicts beliefs or causes discomfort

Stereotyping

Assigning attributes to an individual based on a single characteristic