INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP BEHAVIOUR IN AN ORGANIZATION

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR IN ORGANISATIONS

2.1 Definition of Individual Behaviour

Individual Behaviour defines how individual behave at work and how his/her behavior is
influence by others through: attitudes, perception, personality, stress, beliefs and norms or other
psychological matters.

Individual behavior also refers to how individual behaves at work place, his behavior is
influenced by his attitude, personality, perception, learning and motivating. This also refers to
the combination of responses to internal and external stimuli.

It is important first to understand what makes people behave in the way by looking into the
following determinants;

Personality Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts
with others. Personality describes the growth and development of a person’s whole
psychological system.

“Personality is defined as the dynamic organizations within the individual of these psycho-
physical system that determine his unique adjustment to his environment “by Gordon Allport.

Personality Determinants

1. Heredity

Heredity refers to those factors that were determined at conception e.g. physical structure,
facial attractiveness, gender, temperaments, muscles composition & reflexes, energy level and
biological rhythms are characteristics that are influenced by biological parents either completely
or substantially.

2. Environment

Environmental factors play a role in shaping personalities. They include; the norms among
family, friendship and social groups. These factors determine what individual experience in life.

3. Situation

These influences the effects of heredity and environment on personality. An

individual personality while generally stable and consistent, does change in different
situation.

Different demands in different situations call forth different aspects of one’s

personality.
Major personality attributes influencing organization behaviour

Core self-evaluation

These is the degree to which individuals like or dislike themselves whether they see themselves
as capable and effective and whether they feel they are in control of their environment or
powerless over it .an individual core self-evaluation is determined by:

 Self-esteem: - which is the individual’s degree of liking or disliking themselves and the
degree to which they feel worthy or unworthy as a person.
 Locus of control: - which is the degree to which people believe that they are masters of
their own fate.
 Internals: -Individuals who believe that they control what happens to them.
 Externals: -individuals who believe that what happens to them is controlled by
outside factors such as luck or chance.

2. Machiavellianism

Machiavellianism (Mach) is named after Niccolo Machiavelli who wrote on how to gain and use
power. Machiavellianism is the degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains emotional
distance and believes that ends justifies the means.

3. Narcissm

Narcissm is the tendency to be arrogant, have a grandiose sense of self-importance, require

excessive admiration and have sense of entitlement. Narcissm’s are not effective especially
when dealing with people.

4. Self-monitoring

Self-monitoring refers to an individual ability to adjust his/ her behavior to external or

situational factors. Individual’s high in self-monitoring show considerable adaptability in
adjusting their behavior to external situational factors.

5. Risk taking

People differ in their willingness to take chances. This propensity to assume or avoid risk has
been shown to have an impact on how long it takes managers to make a decision and how much
information they require before making their choice. High risk-taking managers are said to
make more rapid decision compared to low risk-taking managers

6. Type A personality

A person with type A personality is aggressively involved in a chronic, incessant struggle to

achieve more and more in less and less time and if necessary, against the opposing efforts of
other things or other people. Type As operate under moderate to high levels of
stress. They subject themselves to more or less continuous time pressure, creating for
themselves a life of deadlines.

7. Proactive personality

These are people who identify opportunities, show initiative, take caution and persevere until
meaningful change occurs. They create positive change in their environment, regardless or even
in spite of constraints or obstacles.

2. Values

Values represent basic convictions that “a specific mode of conduct or end state of existence is
personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of
existence.

 Values contain a judgmental element in that they carry an individual idea as to what is
right, good or desirable.
 In organization behavior values are important study because they lay on foundation for
the understanding of attitudes, perceptions and motivation

Sources of value systems

 The values people hold are essentially established in their early years from parents,
teachers, friends and relatives. However as one grows up, he gets exposed to other value
systems and this alters some of his values.
 Values can be reactive, tribalism, egocentric, conformity, manipulative Socio centric,
existential.

3. Job satisfaction

Job satisfaction is a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s
job or job experience.

Source and Consequences of Job Satisfaction

1. Pay Wages are a significant factor in job satisfaction. Money not only helps people to
attain their basic needs, but it is instrumental in providing upper-level need satisfaction
2. Work itself the content of the work itself is another major source of satisfaction. Work
should be challenging not boring and a job that provides status.
3. Promotions Promotional opportunities seem to have a varying effect on job
satisfaction .This is because promotions take a number of different forms and
have a variety of accompanying rewards .
4. Supervision Supervision is another moderately important source of job satisfaction. A
participative climate created by the supervision has a more substantial effect on workers
satisfaction than it does in participation a specific decision.
 5. Work group the nature of work groups will have an effect on job satisfaction. Friendly
co- operative co-workers are a modest source of job satisfaction to individual
employees.
6. Working conditions Working conditions are another factor that have a modest
effect on job satisfaction e.g. clean and attractive surroundings for instance will enable
the personnel to find it easier to carry out their jobs.

Learning

Learning is a process in which experience brings about permanent changes in

behaviour or attitudes. The study of learning has had to concentrate on observable changes.

Learning is a process by which human beings becomes aware of themselves and their
environment and the need to adopt the one to the other in order to survive, grow and prosper.

Learning is a process by which people acquire knowledge, understanding skills and values and
apply them to solve problems throughout their daily life.

Factors affecting learning

Human learning is a complex process involving numerous internal and external factors.

Internal Factors External factors

– Intellectual capacity Ability of teacher’s role

– Motivation Learning consent

– Special aptitudes Teaching methods

– Temperament Feedback of results

– Personal values Learning Aids

– Past experiences Learning context

– Health
 5. Perception

Perception is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in
order to give meaning to their environment.

GROUP BEHAVIOUR

3.1 Definition of a Group

According to Marvin Shaw, “a group comprises, of two or more persons who interact with one
another in such a manner that each person influences and is influenced by each other person’.

Group Behaviour

“Group behavior” refers to the ways people behave in large- or small-group situations.

3.2 Functions of groups in organizations

i. Distribution and control of work

This is bringing together and controlling teams of peoples with certain talents and abilities.

ii. Delegation of work

Organization authority needs to be delegated to leaders of work groups.

iii. Spread of information Groups disseminate information better than individuals.

iv. Uniting the organization in pursuit of its goals Organization can use work groups as a
means of gaining the support of workers for organizations goals.

v. Analyzing and solving problems in order to solve problems and make policy, the
organization can use high level work groups made up of people with a wide range of talents.

vi. Conflict and resolution the organization cannot resolve conflicts of its employees at an
individual level, because in large organizations there may be too many conflicts
hence its better done in groups.

3.3 Types of Groups

In an organization, there are three types of groups, which are as follows:

Functional or formal groups

Functional groups are the groups formed by the organization to accomplish different
organizational purposes. According to A L Stencombe, “a formal group is said to be any social
arrangement in which the activities of some persons are planned by others to achieve a common
purpose”. These groups are permanent in nature. They have to follow rules, regulations and
policy of the organization. A formal organizational group includes departments such as the
personnel department, the advertising department, the quality control department and the public
relations department.

Task group

Tasks groups are the groups formed by an organization to accomplish a narrow range of
purposes within a specified time. These groups are temporary in nature. They also develop a
solution to a problem or complete its purpose. Informal committees, task forces and work teams
are included in task groups. The organization after specifying a group membership, assigns a
narrow set of purposes such as developing a new product, evaluating a proposed grievance
procedure, etc.

Informal group

Informal groups are the groups formed for the purposes other than the organizational goals.
Informal groups form when individuals are drawn together by friendship, by mutual interests or
both. These groups are spontaneous. According to Keith David, “the network of persons and
social relations which is not established or required form an informal organization”. These are
the groups formed by the employees themselves at the workplace while working together. The
organization does not take any active interest in their formation. Informal groups are of
following types:

 Interest group: Interest groups are the groups formed to attain a common purpose.
Employees coming together for payment of bonus, increase in salary, medical benefit and
other facilities are the examples of interest groups
 Membership group: Membership groups are the groups of individuals’ belonging to the
same profession and knowing each other. For example, teachers of the same faculty in a
university.
 Friendship group: Friendship groups are the groups of individuals belonging to same age
group, having similar views, tastes and opinions. These groups can also be formed
outside the plant or office and can be in the form of clubs and associations.
 Reference group: Reference groups are the group where individuals shape their ideas,
beliefs, values etc. They want support from the group.

3.4 Stages of group formation

New groups are constantly being formed in all walks of life. These may be formal units,
committees working parties, project teams etc. To deal with the new
development or innovations or arising from a reorganization of existing work patterns. They
may also be informal group based around new friendships and interest.

Stage 1 Forming

The first stage of group development is concerned with finding out the nature of
situation with which the group is faced and what forms of behavior and interaction are
appropriate. Members will test out attitude and behavior to establish their
acceptability as ground rules for accomplishing the task and getting along with other
members. Competing powerful personalities can lend to problems in early
development explorations of what is acceptable within the group.

Stage 2 Storming

Leading on from the forming stage in which certain ground rules are explored, it is likely
that there will be a stage of conflict and disagreement as methods of operations and patterns
of behavior start to be firmed up. This where different opinions and styles emerge with
competing sub-groups, challenges for leadership, rebellions against control and resistance to the
demands of meeting task requirements. A degree of compromise is necessary here in order to
allow consensus to emerge.

Stage 3 Norming

As resistance is overcome and conflicts patched up, groups move into the norming
stage whereby they establish norms of attitudes and behavior which the mutually
accepted for the task performance and interaction. Individual members begin the process of
internalizing those norms and identifying with group, building group cohesion.

Members roles start to be clarified and accepted at this stage. The role of leader
should be clearly established. the establishment of consensus brings recognition of the value
and different potential contributions of individuals and this results to cooperation and mutual
support from group work.

Stage 4 Performing

This is the final stage in development and it represents the position where the group energy is
now available for effective work, completing task and maintaining the group. The established
norms now support the goals of the group and roles becomes functional, thus
allowing constructive work in relation to tasks.

3.5 Factors that determine the behavior of groups and how successful they are

Size

The sizes of the group will affect how the group works together and tasks completed.

Leadership /management style

It can affect the performance of the group -It involves the organization and directions of the
group to achieve its goals.

Cohesiveness

If the group is not cohesive it will tend to be ineffective.

Motivation of group members

The commitment of members to the goals and tasks of the group are a key determinant of
successful performance.

Norms of groups

This includes belief systems, attitudes and values of the group, that influence behavior.

Group /team roles

Effective groups need members to carry out a variety of roles in order that goals and tasks of
group many be achieved.

The environment

The work environment will have a direct bearing on the group and its performance.

The group tasks

This includes the task that groups are asked to complete, how important they are and how urgent
and how the results help the company achieve its objectives.