Assignment on Mid–Term Exam

Course Code: MGT3124

Course Title: Organizational Behavior

Prepared for:

...........................................

Shamima Akter
Lecturer
School of Business Studies
Southeast University

Prepared By:

Twasin Abduho Al Wares - ID No: 2015010000442

Sec: 1
School of Business Studies
Southeast University
Answer to the Question No. 1

Personality:
The sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others,
measurable traits a person exhibits. Enduring characteristics that describe an
individual’s behavior.

 
Personality Determinants:

1. Heredity – so we’re born to be “just the way we are”?

2. Environment – oh, so it’s the environment instead?
3. Situation – or is it the situation that determines our personality?

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI):

A personality test that taps four characteristics and classified people into 1 of 16
personality types. EX: Extroverted vs. Introverted.

The Big Five Model:

Another popular way to assess a person’s personality is the big five. The Big Five is a
psychology based assessment that focuses on five wide-ranging categories that
describe personality. The acronym used for The Big Five is OCEAN and include
openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

1. Openness:

People high in openness are more likely to be creative thinkers and enjoy taking on new
activities and challenges. People low in this trait tends to be less imaginative and may
not do well with change.

2. Conscientiousness:

People high in conscientiousness are good at planning ahead, organizing details, and
meeting deadlines. They are also mindful of others and understand how their decisions
and actions can influence those around them. People who are low in conscientiousness
procrastinate on or fail to complete tasks. They also tend to be shy away from
schedules and live unorganized lives.
 3. Extraversion:

People high in extraversion enjoy meeting new people and inserting themselves into
gatherings and conversations. They tend to make friends easily and have a large group
of friends. People low in extraversion, also known as introverts, prefers seclusion over
company. They also try to avoid small talk and being at the center of attention.

4. Agreeableness:

People high in agreeableness show a genuine concern for others. They are known for
helping others in need and feeling empathy for the struggles of others. On the other
hand, people low in agreeableness tend to act rude and inconsiderate towards others or
even use manipulation to put their own needs above anyone else.

5. Neuroticism:

Someone high in neuroticism tends to be very moody, stressed, and anxious. They may
get stressed and upset easily. People lows in neuroticism tend to be emotionally stable
and do not allow stressors to affect their mood.

Picture 1: The Big Five

Each personality test we discussed are used today to help companies better understand
their employees or employee candidates. It is important to remember that there are
thousands of different personality traits. Each individual has their own unique set and
combination of personality traits. While each of the personality tests we discussed in
this module are effective in their own right, there is no exact science to identifying each
and every personality trait present in an individual. In addition, many personality tests
are based upon an individual’s self-assessment and results may differ from day to day.
Personality tests may help to confirm things you already believed to be true or they may
open your eyes to a side of yourself you didn’t realize existed. Let’s move onto the next
section to examine how an individual’s personality can help to predict their choices and
behavior.
Answer to the Question No. 2

Attitude:
An attitude could be generally defined as a way a person responds to his or her
environment, either positively or negatively.  Attitudes are the confluence of individual
and external stimuli, and therefore everyone is in a position of responsibility to improve
them (managers, employees, and organizations).

Components of attitude:
Every attitude has three components that are represented in what is called the ABC
model of attitudes: A for affective, B for behavioral and C for cognitive. The
affective component refers to the emotional reaction one has toward an attitude object.
For example, 'I feel scared when I think about or see a snake.
Attitudes represent our evaluations, preferences or rejections based on the information
we receive.

It is a generalized tendency to think or act in a certain way in respect of some object or

situation, often accompanied by feelings. It is a learned predisposition to respond in a
consistent manner with respect to a given object. This can include evaluations of
people, issues, objects, or events. Such evaluations are often positive or negative, but
they can also be uncertain at times. These are the way of thinking, and they shape how
we relate to the world both in work and Outside of work. Researchers also suggest that
there are several different components that make up attitudes.

One can see this by looking at the three components of an attitude: cognition, affect and
behavior. 3 components of attitude are;

1. Cognitive Component.
2. Affective Component.
3. Behavioral Component.

Picture – 2: Components of attitude.

Cognitive Component:

The cognitive component of attitudes refers to the beliefs, thoughts, and attributes that
we would associate with an object. It is the opinion or belief segment of an attitude. It
refers to that part of attitude which is related in general knowledge of a person. Typically
these come to light in generalities or stereotypes, such as ‘all babies are cute’, ‘smoking
is harmful to health’ etc.

Affective Component:

Affective component is the emotional or feeling segment of an attitude. It is related to

the statement which affects another person. It deals with feelings or emotions that are
brought to the surface about something, such as fear or hate. Using the above example,
someone might have the attitude that they love all babies because they are cute or that
they hate smoking because it is harmful to health.

Behavioral Component:

Behavior component of an attitude consists of a person’s tendencies to behave’ in a

particular way toward an object. It refers to that part of attitude which reflects the
intention of a person in the short-run or long run. Using the above example, the
behavioral attitude maybe- ‘I cannot wait to kiss the baby’, or ‘we better keep those
smokers out of the library, etc.

Attitude is composed of three components, which include a cognitive component,

effective or emotional component, and a behavioral component. Basically, the cognitive
component is based on the information or knowledge, whereas the affective component
is based on the feelings. The behavioral component reflects how attitude affects the
way we act or behave. It is helpful in understanding their complexity and the potential
relationship between attitudes and behavior. But for clarity’s sake, keep in mind that the
term attitude essentially refers to the affected part of the three components.

In an organization, attitudes are important for their goal or objective to succeed. Each
one of these components is very different from the other, and they can build upon one
another to form our attitudes and, therefore, affect how we relate to the world.
Answer to the Question No: 3

Attribution theory:
Attribution theory is a social psychology theory developed by Fritz Heider, Harold
Kelley, Edward E. Jones, and Lee Ross. The theory explores how individuals "attribute"
causes to events and behavior.
It is defined as,
“An attempt when individuals observe behavior to determine whether it is internally or
externally caused of our or others.”
There are following two attributing factors that people make:
A. Dispositional or Internal Attributes:
•"Internal" or "dispositional" attribution is the process of assigning the cause
of behavior to some internal characteristic, rather than to outside forces.
•When we explain the behavior of others we look for enduring internal
attributions, such as personality traits.
•For example, we attribute the behavior of a person to their personality,
intelligence, abilities, motives or beliefs etc.
•Internal causes are under that person’s control.
B. Situational or External Attributes:
• "External" or "situational" attribution is the process of assigning the
cause of behavior to some situation or event outside a person's control
rather than to some internal characteristic.
• When we try to explain our own behavior we tend to make external
attributions, such as situational or environment features.
• External causes are not that person’s control.
Determining Factors of Attribution Theory:
The determination of internally or externally caused behavior depends chiefly on the
following three factors:
I. Distinctiveness:
• Distinctiveness refers an individual displays different behavior at different situations.
• If the behavior (say being late in the office) is unusual, then it is an external attribution;
and if it is usual, then it is internal attribution.
II. Consensus:
• Consensus refers to the uniformity of the behavior shown by all the concerned people.
• If everyone reports late on a particular morning, it is easily assumed that there must be
a severe traffic disruption in the city and thus the behavior is externally attributed.
• But if the consensus is low, it is internally attributed.
III. Consistency:
• Consistency is the reverse of distinctiveness. Consistency refers the individual same
behavior over time.
• Thus in judging the behavior of an individual, the person looks at his past record.
• If the present behavior is consistently found to occur in the past as well (that is being
late at least three times a week), it is attributed as internally caused.
Let’s look at an example to help understand his particular attribution theory.
Our subject is called Tom. His behavior is laughter. Tom is laughing at a
comedian.
A. Distinctiveness: Only Tom laughs at this comedian. Distinctiveness is
high. If Tom laughs at everything distinctiveness is low.
B. Consensus: Everybody in the audience is laughing. Consensus is high.
If only Tom is laughing consensus is low.
C. Consistency: Tom always laughs at this comedian. Consistency is
high. Tom rarely laughs at this comedian consistency is low.