Influence of Individual and Group Level Variables on Behavior in the Work Place
Added on 2023-06-03
20 Pages5247 Words185 Views
|
|
|
Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 1
Influence of Individual and Group Level Variables on Behavior in the Work Place
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Date of Submission
Influence of Individual and Group Level Variables on Behavior in the Work Place
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Date of Submission
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 2
Introduction
Organizational behavior is the study of the behavior of humans and how it affects the
organization. It also includes the structure of the organization, individuals and groups and how it
affects the productivity of the organization. Organization behavior is meant to help the
organizations to know how the employees and individuals in the organization will behave in
different circumstances. Some factors shape the outcome and behavior of employees in the
organization like their absenteeism, turnover, productivity and even job satisfaction. There are
independent variables and dependent variables which are useful in understanding the behavior of
the employees and individuals in the organization (Hancock, 2015). The dependent variables are
those variables and factors which shape and affect the behavior of the employees of the
organization. Those are the behaviors that the managers and the leadership often try to influence
in the lives of the employees.
The reason for them improving the behaviors of the employees is to help them improve
productivity, avoid absenteeism, among others to achieve the goals and objectives of the
organization (McBride, Lovelock, Dirks, Welch & Shepherd, 2015). Examples of depended
variables are absenteeism, turn over job satisfaction among others. The independent variables are
those factors that help to shape the behavior of the employees like how they get absent, how they
get job satisfaction among others. These variables are mostly beyond the influence and control of
the leadership and management. Examples include individual variables of the employees, the
group variables and also the variables that are organizational. The case study of Pike River mine
took a different turn that was expected and was affected by the individual level variables of the
independent variables of the organizational behavior (Pons, 2016). The purpose of this report
will be to uncover the individual level variables of the organizational behavior that can be seen in
Introduction
Organizational behavior is the study of the behavior of humans and how it affects the
organization. It also includes the structure of the organization, individuals and groups and how it
affects the productivity of the organization. Organization behavior is meant to help the
organizations to know how the employees and individuals in the organization will behave in
different circumstances. Some factors shape the outcome and behavior of employees in the
organization like their absenteeism, turnover, productivity and even job satisfaction. There are
independent variables and dependent variables which are useful in understanding the behavior of
the employees and individuals in the organization (Hancock, 2015). The dependent variables are
those variables and factors which shape and affect the behavior of the employees of the
organization. Those are the behaviors that the managers and the leadership often try to influence
in the lives of the employees.
The reason for them improving the behaviors of the employees is to help them improve
productivity, avoid absenteeism, among others to achieve the goals and objectives of the
organization (McBride, Lovelock, Dirks, Welch & Shepherd, 2015). Examples of depended
variables are absenteeism, turn over job satisfaction among others. The independent variables are
those factors that help to shape the behavior of the employees like how they get absent, how they
get job satisfaction among others. These variables are mostly beyond the influence and control of
the leadership and management. Examples include individual variables of the employees, the
group variables and also the variables that are organizational. The case study of Pike River mine
took a different turn that was expected and was affected by the individual level variables of the
independent variables of the organizational behavior (Pons, 2016). The purpose of this report
will be to uncover the individual level variables of the organizational behavior that can be seen in
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 3
the Pike River mine. Also, the group level variables that contributed to the disaster will be
discussed and highlighted in the report.
Individual Level Variables
In any given situation, individual level variables appear to look like they are given or
rather fixed and in theory, managers have no control or influence over such variables. However,
a smart manager will understand that they have the capacity to influence the way the employees
and workers of the organization respond to the variables (Horberry, Xiao, Fuller & Cliff, 2013).
The employee brings the variables to the place of work, and they are simply the characteristic
which cannot be left behind. There is very little that a manager or a leader can do about the
variables since they are part of the employee. The best way is to allow them to remain but also
understand their role in the performance and output of the employee (McBride et al., 2015). The
manager must be able to tell the extent to which the variables can influence the behavior of the
employee and affect his record and performance in the organization. Some employees may be
open to talking about the characteristics and how they can be controlled, however, that depends
on the motivation given them by the leadership and management. In this report, there will be
three individual-level variables of the human behavior among employees which shall be
discussed with reference to the Pike River Mine incident (Kirsch, Harris, Shi & Cliff, 2014). The
variables which shall be discussed in detail include perception, learning and decision making.
Perception
When the employee is able to make sense of the information and promptings which are in
the form of stimuli from the environment that is called perception. It involves how employees
regard a situation, understand it and interpret the same to make sense of the events in their
environment. Three things have influence over what people can perceive, the individual who is
the Pike River mine. Also, the group level variables that contributed to the disaster will be
discussed and highlighted in the report.
Individual Level Variables
In any given situation, individual level variables appear to look like they are given or
rather fixed and in theory, managers have no control or influence over such variables. However,
a smart manager will understand that they have the capacity to influence the way the employees
and workers of the organization respond to the variables (Horberry, Xiao, Fuller & Cliff, 2013).
The employee brings the variables to the place of work, and they are simply the characteristic
which cannot be left behind. There is very little that a manager or a leader can do about the
variables since they are part of the employee. The best way is to allow them to remain but also
understand their role in the performance and output of the employee (McBride et al., 2015). The
manager must be able to tell the extent to which the variables can influence the behavior of the
employee and affect his record and performance in the organization. Some employees may be
open to talking about the characteristics and how they can be controlled, however, that depends
on the motivation given them by the leadership and management. In this report, there will be
three individual-level variables of the human behavior among employees which shall be
discussed with reference to the Pike River Mine incident (Kirsch, Harris, Shi & Cliff, 2014). The
variables which shall be discussed in detail include perception, learning and decision making.
Perception
When the employee is able to make sense of the information and promptings which are in
the form of stimuli from the environment that is called perception. It involves how employees
regard a situation, understand it and interpret the same to make sense of the events in their
environment. Three things have influence over what people can perceive, the individual who is
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 4
doing it, the setting or the environment from where the process is taking place and also the object
or person who is being perceived. The individual who is the employee will be using the abilities
like the eyesight or hearing, the attitudes, values, expectations or even the past experience to help
him in the process of perception (Lawrence, Mauws, Dyck & Kleysen, 2005). The perceiver is
meant to understand the perceptions depending on the complexity or simplicity of the
surroundings. When the situation is seemingly familiar, the perception may be different.
However, when the environment from where the perception is made is apparently unfamiliar, the
individual will interpret that as threatening. Perceptions can change from time to time depending
on the person who is being perceived or the object and also the place where the event or process
is taking place (Lamare, Lamm, McDonnell & White, 2015). When someone is dealing with a
stranger, his perception will be he will be not expecting anything friendly at first, and his guard
will always be up all the time. He will interpret any event as threatening as long as he does not
understand what it means.
Poor Perception for the Stakeholders
Pike River mine is in New Zealand, and it was mine that exploded in the year 2010. The
studies that have been carried out by many experts and investigations have revealed that besides
the technical and engineering factors, the disaster was also caused by some aspects of human
behavior. About 29 nine people who were underground were not so lucky, and they lost their
lives (Pons, 2016). Those who were nearby were also hurt and sustained injuries. Perception has
been one of the human behavior variables that were linked to the explosion and the vents that
cane before and after. In the report, there was a finding that there were supposed to be ventilation
which was to allow for air to enter and leave the mine (Panckhurst, Bell & Henry, 2012). That
was overlooked, and no one in their imagination ever thought that it could lead to their
doing it, the setting or the environment from where the process is taking place and also the object
or person who is being perceived. The individual who is the employee will be using the abilities
like the eyesight or hearing, the attitudes, values, expectations or even the past experience to help
him in the process of perception (Lawrence, Mauws, Dyck & Kleysen, 2005). The perceiver is
meant to understand the perceptions depending on the complexity or simplicity of the
surroundings. When the situation is seemingly familiar, the perception may be different.
However, when the environment from where the perception is made is apparently unfamiliar, the
individual will interpret that as threatening. Perceptions can change from time to time depending
on the person who is being perceived or the object and also the place where the event or process
is taking place (Lamare, Lamm, McDonnell & White, 2015). When someone is dealing with a
stranger, his perception will be he will be not expecting anything friendly at first, and his guard
will always be up all the time. He will interpret any event as threatening as long as he does not
understand what it means.
Poor Perception for the Stakeholders
Pike River mine is in New Zealand, and it was mine that exploded in the year 2010. The
studies that have been carried out by many experts and investigations have revealed that besides
the technical and engineering factors, the disaster was also caused by some aspects of human
behavior. About 29 nine people who were underground were not so lucky, and they lost their
lives (Pons, 2016). Those who were nearby were also hurt and sustained injuries. Perception has
been one of the human behavior variables that were linked to the explosion and the vents that
cane before and after. In the report, there was a finding that there were supposed to be ventilation
which was to allow for air to enter and leave the mine (Panckhurst, Bell & Henry, 2012). That
was overlooked, and no one in their imagination ever thought that it could lead to their
End of preview
Want to access all the pages? Upload your documents or become a member.
Related Documents