Understanding Human Behaviour

It is very essential to understand human behavior in today’s world as the existence of the organization depends on op the employees/individuals. Without understanding human behavior it is very difficult to work in an organization. All organizations are composed of individuals, with different personalities, attitudes, values, perceptions, motives, aspirations and abilities. In contrast, modern theories of human behavior are based upon the differences among people and how those differences can affect the organization. Individual differences are many for example some employees are motivated to work and some are not.

The term `behavior’ means. Behavior can be defined as a response/s which is observed directly/indirectly. Direct observation is possible by studying the responses of people to a work environment. Indirect observations are decision making processes and attitudes, in terms of results or how people describe them verbally.
Human behavior is very much unpredictable. In behavior, we cannot assume one set pattern of behavior. Lavitt classified behavior as (i) Caused behavior, (ii) Motivated behavior, (iii) Goal-oriented behavior.
Understanding past behavior is important for developing effective human skills, and it also provides a framework for predicting behavior. It also gives an idea to managers as to how behavior is similar in certain circumstances and changing in changing environmental conditions.
Managers have to understand that there are going to be individual differences among the employees, as no individual is similar to others. Each individual is unique by themselves. Then one has to understand that each individual has to be taken care of as a whole person by taking care of. his needs as well as training and making him up to date in terms of work. Ultimately human beings have to be treated with respect only then you can expect effective performance. With the following descriptions, you will be able to understand the concept better.
Dan’s analyses the nature of people in terms of four assumptions.

1. Individual Differences

Behaviour is the result of interaction between individual characteristics and the characteristics of the environment in which the behavior occurs.
Each person has a unique combination of characteristics. Some of these characteristics are present from birth; others develop over time. These can be called as inherited and learned characteristics. Although there are some inherited characteristics, these are very few, and not so significant. Learned characteristics are very important. Individual differences can be because of environment, personal and psychological factors. It is also due to physical and social factors.
All aspects of the physical world that can be seen, heard, felt, smelled or touched are part of the physical environment of behavior. The social environment of an individual includes relationships with family, friends, co-workers, supervisors and subordinates and membership in groups such as unions. The behavior of others (as distinct from the individual’s relationship with them) is also part of an individual’s social environment. Any ‘norms, rules, laws or reward systems that originate with other individuals or groups help to form an individual’s social environment.

2.   A Whole Person

When an employee works in an organization, the organization takes care of that person by making him effective, as a worker and as a person.

3. Caused Behaviour (Motivation)

People’s behavior is need-based. By fulfilling these needs he is motivated positively and there occurs effective performance. So the management in the organization has to take care of these needs to have an effective performance. The management can show them how certain actions will increase their need fulfillment and if not; how it decreases their need fulfillment.

4. Value of the Person (Human Dignity)

People have to be treated with respect and as individuals and they can not be treated like machines as to how scientific management use to treat them. By recognizing them and treating them with uniqueness the value of the person gets increased. By this, we can understand how the concept of treating human beings from machines to human capital has evolved.
If one accepts the fact that human skill development is necessary then managers and leaders must have the necessary understanding to influence the behavior of other people. It was felt that the managers acquire three levels of expertise. Firstly they have to understand the past and current behavior so that they can predict behavior and then they learn to direct change and control behavior.

MODELS TO UNDERSTAND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

Early classical approaches made the assumption that people are naturally lazy and self-serving, neutral, or positive and self-motivated. In simpler terms they need to be pushed and controlled and kept under surveillance, never to be trusted to put in a good day’s work by themselves. Economic rewards were the only ones considered, and close autocratic supervision was suggested.
Systems and contingency theorists viewed people as adaptable and felt that much of behavior was learned and not attributable to predispositions to be negative or positive.
Likert, Mc Gregor, and Bennis who developed and extended the findings of human-relations theorists had a positive view of human nature. Employees were seen as striving for personal and social well-being. If left alone, they would work hard for the intrinsic satisfaction of a job well done- The emphasis was on democratic decision making and leadership. Jobs were to be challenging and allowed the individual employee to be creative.

Models of Human Behaviour

Psychoanalytic Model: Freudian approach depends on the conflict model of humans. By using clinical techniques of free association and psychotherapy Freud felt that behavior is not always consciously explained. “Unconscious” is the major factor that guides the individual’s behavior. Freud felt that the individual’s behavior depends on three factors: (i) id, (ii) Ego and (iii) Superego.
Id: By Id it means pleasure. To a certain degree of having Id in an individual is constructive but may also lead to destructive tendencies like being aggressive, dominating, fighting and generally destroy. This kind of instinctive is more dominating in childhood. But once individuals develop and mature they learn to control the id. But it is always unconscious. Throughout life, the `id’ becomes an important source of thinking and behaving.
Ego: Ego represents the `conscious’ stage in one’s behavior. Though Id comes in conflict with ego, the ego depends on the superego.
Superego: It represents “conscience”. An individual is not aware of the superego’s functioning. The conscience is dependent on two factors that are the cultural values and morals of a society. Superego’s development depends mostly on the parent’s influence. Once the child grows up the child will unconsciously identify with parents’ values and morals.
There is always a tussle between the id, ego, and superego. The degree of each of them varies from person to person. So the variations in an individual’s behavior can be better understood with the help of this model.
But the modern theories have severely criticized this theory as it is not based on any empirical facts and as such it can not be accepted in totality. But the concept of “unconscious” is a significant contribution to understanding the specific behavior of humans.

Existential Model: This model is not scientifically based. Its base is literature and philosophy.
The existentialists believe that the depersonalizing effects of this environment force individuals to make their destiny. So the individuals shape their own identity and make their “existence” meaningful and worthwhile to themselves.
This is more true and happening in today’s urbanization. Because people have become so materialistic and busy, they do not have time for traditional values and norms and it becomes impractical sometimes to follow them. The existential model is, especially true when you are employed in today’s world.
Though this model is not scientific it can be be used in understanding human behavior.

Internal vs. External Determinants of Behaviour

Environment plays a major role in shaping behavior and genetic endowment and personality development are influenced by our historical heritage.

Personality vs the Environment

Both personality and situational variables must be taken into account to explain an individual’s behavior but a focus on the environment is as important or perhaps slightly more important than focusing on personality traits.

Cognition vs the Environment

To understand one’s behavior all we have to know is the individual’s past responses to similar (stimulus) situations and the rewards or punishments that followed that response. There are two models which come out of these approaches:
Behaviouristic Model: In this model, the behavior is dependent on two factors i.e., stimulus and response. Learning occurs with this kind of model. Pavlov and Watson with their research felt that behavior can be best understood by stimulus and response.
Behaviorist model is represented as SR (Stimulus-Response)
Cognitive Model: S-OR-R. This model emphasizes the positive and free-will factors of human beings and uses concepts such as expectancy, demand, and incentive.
Tolman with his experiments found that the basis of learning as of `expectancy’ is understood as one particular event leading to a particular consequence i.e., goal. Human behavior is based on these goals. The cognitive model is represented as S – O – R (Stimulus-Organism-Response model) Both approaches see learning and the environment as having a major impact on behavior. From these different approaches, it can be said that: Behaviour is caused by instincts, genetic background and personality traits that are formed at an early age. Change is very difficult for the individual and that one’s capacity is severely limited. Behaviour is mostly learned through our interactions with the environment. Present events rather than past events are important. Even though there are some limitations. one’s capacities, one is capable of great amounts of change.

 IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORGANISATION

The behavior of individuals is caused, and follows a pattern, because of this, the behavior is unpredictable. The study of behavior is, however, rewarding and necessary for management. It is doubtful whether the manager can perform his tasks satisfactorily without developing a fair degree of understanding of the people around him.
Any attempt to learn why people behave as they do in organizations requires some understanding of individual differences. Managers spend considerable time making judgments about the fit between individuals, job tasks and from these approaches it can be concluded that there is an overwhelming consensus that the environment has a much greater effect than it is believed. The implications for organizations are important. It means that large areas of human behavior are modifiable. Organizational design, training, and development can have a profound impact on the behavior of the members of an organization.

PERSONALITY

Gordon Allport defined Personality as the dynamic organization within the individual of those Psycho-Physical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his environment. Personality can be described more specifically as “how a person affects others, how he understands and views himself and his pattern of inner and outer measurable traits.”
From this definition, it can be understood as one’s physical appearance and behavior affect others. Understanding oneself means one is unique with a set of attitudes and values and a self-concept. Finally, the pattern of measurable traits refers to a set of characteristics that the person exhibits. Some of the other definitions are “Personality is a vehicle to integrate perception, learning, values, and attitudes and thus to understand the total person.” “Personality is an individual’s total sense of self, it is an organizing force for the person’s particular pattern of exhibited traits and behaviors.” “Personality is the culmination of experiences and genetic influences.” Personality is influenced by personal life and where he is working.

 DETERMINANTS OF PERSONALITY

Personality is the result of both heredity and environment and also the situation. Heredity refers to those factors that were determined at conception. Physical appearance, temperament, energy level, and biological rhythms are the characteristics that are generally influenced by one’s Parents’ i.e., One’s Biological, Physiological and Inherent Psychological Make up. The Heredity approach feels that the personality of an individual is the Molecular Structure of the genes, located in the chromosomes.

Culture plays an important role in the formation of personality, i.e., early conditioning, the norms among the family, friends and social groups. With the socialization process in the group, personalities are altered over time.
Situation
Though an individual personality is constant, it does change depending on the situation. Different demands in different situations call forth different aspects of one’s personality.
The relationship between these three factors affects the formation and development of Personality. Psychological inheritance is entirely an internal contribution. Group and culture are the early environmental factors that form later behavior. Family and social setting during the early stages of education are the important factors which influence the initial formation of personality. Whatever the child learns here lasts for a lifetime. Later in life, it is the Peer groups or Primary affiliations at work, social activities that shape the Personality.