Organizational Behavior - Learning

Learning can be defined as the permanent change in behavior due to direct and
indirect experience. It means change in behavior, attitude due to education and
training, practice and experience. It is completed by acquisition of knowledge
and skills, which are relatively permanent.

Nature of Learning

Nature of learning means the characteristic features of learning. Learning

involves change; it may or may not guarantee improvement. It should be
permanent in nature, that is learning is for lifelong.
The change in behavior is the result of experience, practice and training.
Learning is reflected through behavior.

Factors Affecting Learning

Learning is based upon some key factors that decide what changes will be
caused by this experience. The key elements or the major factors that affect
learning are motivation, practice, environment, and mental group.
Coming back to these factors let us have a look on these factors −
 Motivation − The encouragement, the support one gets to complete a task,
to achieve a goal is known as motivation. It is a very important aspect of
learning as it acts gives us a positive energy to complete a task. Example −
The coach motivated the players to win the match.
 Practice − We all know that ”Practice makes us perfect”. In order to be a
perfectionist or at least complete the task, it is very important to practice
what we have learnt. Example − We can be a programmer only when we
execute the codes we have written.
 Environment − We learn from our surroundings, we learn from the people
around us. They are of two types of environment – internal and
external. Example − A child when at home learns from the family which is
an internal environment, but when sent to school it is an external
environment.
 Mental group − It describes our thinking by the group of people we chose
to hang out with. In simple words, we make a group of those people with
whom we connect. It can be for a social cause where people with the same
mentality work in the same direction. Example − A group of readers,
travelers, etc.
These are the main factors that influence what a person learns, these are the root
level for our behavior and everything we do is connected to what we learn.
How Learning Occurs?

Learning can be understood clearly with the help of some theories that will
explain our behavior. Some of the remarkable theories are −
 Classical Conditioning Theory
 Operant Conditioning Theory
 Social Learning Theory
 Cognitive Learning Theory

Classical Conditioning Theory

The classical conditioning occurs when a conditioned stimulus is coupled with

an unconditioned stimulus. Usually, the conditioned stimulus (CS) is an
impartial stimulus like the sound of a tuning fork, the unconditioned stimulus
(US) is biologically effective like the taste of food and the unconditioned
response (UR) to the unconditioned stimulus is an unlearned reflex response
like salivation or sweating.
After this coupling process is repeated (for example, some learning may already
occur after a single coupling), an individual shows a conditioned response (CR)
to the conditioned stimulus, when the conditioned stimulus is presented alone.
The conditioned response is mostly similar to the unconditioned response, but
unlike the unconditioned response, it must be acquired through experience and
is nearly impermanent.

Operant Conditioning Theory

Operant conditioning theory is also known as instrumental conditioning. This

theory is a learning process in which behavior is sensitive to, or controlled by its
outcomes.
Let’s take an example of a child. A child may learn to open a box to get the
candy inside, or learn to avoid touching a hot stove. In comparison, the classical
conditioning develops a relationship between a stimulus and a behavior. The
example can be further elaborated as the child may learn to salivate at the sight
of candy, or to tremble at the sight of an angry parent.
In the 20th century, the study of animal learning was commanded by the
analysis of these two sorts of learning, and they are still at the core of behavior
analysis.

Social Learning Theory

The key assumptions of social learning theory are as follows −

  Learning is not exactly behavioral, instead it is a cognitive process that
takes place in a social context.
 Learning can occur by observing a behavior and by observing the outcomes
of the behavior (known as vicarious reinforcement).
 Learning includes observation, extraction of information from those
observations, and making decisions regarding the performance of the
behavior (known as observational learning or modeling). Thus, learning
can occur beyond an observable change in behavior.
 Reinforcement plays an important role in learning but is not completely
responsible for learning.
 The learner is not a passive receiver of information. Understanding,
environment, and behavior all mutually influence each other.

Cognitive Learning Theory

Cognition defines a person’s ideas, thoughts, knowledge, interpretation,

understanding about himself and environment.
This theory considers learning as the outcome of deliberate thinking on a
problem or situation based upon known facts and responding in an objective and
more oriented manner. It perceives that a person learns the meaning of various
objects and events and also learns the response depending upon the meaning
assigned to the stimuli.
This theory debates that the learner forms a cognitive structure in memory
which stores organized information about the various events that occurs.
Learning & Organizational Behavior
An individual’s behavior in an organization is directly or indirectly affected by
learning.
Example − Employee skill, manager’s attitude are all learned.
Behavior can be improved by following the listed tips −
 Reducing absenteeism by rewarding employees for their fair attendance.
 Improving employee discipline by dealing with employee’s undesirable
behavior, drinking at workplace, stealing, coming late, etc. by taking
appropriate actions like oral reprimands, written warnings and suspension.
 Developing training programs more often so as to grab the trainees’
attention, provide required motivational properties etc.
 Organizational Behavior - Personality

The word personality is derived from a Greek word “persona” which means “to
speak through.” Personality is the combination of characteristics or qualities
that forms a person’s unique identity. It signifies the role which a person plays
in public. Every individual has a unique, personal and major determinant of his
behavior that defines his/her personality.
Personality trait is basically influenced by two major features −
 Inherited characteristics
 Learned characteristics

Inherited Characteristics

The features an individual acquires from their parents or forefathers, in other

words the gifted features an individual possesses by birth is considered as
inherited characteristics. It consists of the following features −
 Color of a person’s eye
 Religion/Race of a person
 Shape of the nose
 Shape of earlobes

Learned Characteristics

Nobody learns everything by birth. First, our school is our home, then our
society, followed by educational institutes. The characteristics an individual
acquires by observing, practicing, and learning from others and the
surroundings is known as learned characteristics.
Learned characteristics includes the following features −
 Perception − Result of different senses like feeling, hearing etc.
 Values − Influences perception of a situation, decision making process.
 Personality − Patterns of thinking, feeling, understanding and behaving.
 Attitude − Positive or negative attitude like expressing one’s thought.

Traits of Personality

Personality traits are the enduring features that define an individual’s behavior.
A personality trait is a unique feature in an individual. Psychologists resolved
that there are five major personality traits and every individual can be
categorized into at least one of them. These five personality traits are −
 Extrovert
  Neurotic
 Open
 Agreeable
 Conscientious

Major Personality Attributes

Following are the five major personality attributes that influence OB −

Locus of Control
Locus of control is the center of control of an individual’s code of conduct.
People can be grouped into two categories i.e., internals and externals
respectively.
People who consider themselves as the masters of their own fates are known as
internals, while, those who affirm that their lives are controlled by outside
forces known as externals.
Before making any decision, internals actively search for information, they are
achievement driven, and want to command their environment. Thus, internals
do well on jobs that craves complex information processing, taking initiative
and independent action.
Externals, on the other hand, are more compliant, more willing to follow
instructions, so, they do well in structured, routine jobs.
Machiavellianism
Machiavellianism is being practical, emotionally distant, and believing that ends
justify means.
Machiavellians are always wanting to win and are great persuaders. Here are the
significant features of a high-mach individuals −
 High-Machs prefer precise interactions rather than beating about the bush.
 High-Machs tend to improvise; they do not necessarily abide by rules and
regulations all the time.
 High-Machs get distracted by emotional details that are irrelevant to the
outcome of a project.
Self-esteem
It is the extent up to which people either like or dislike themselves. Self-Esteem
is directly related to the expectations of success and on-the-job satisfaction.
Individuals with high self-esteem think that they have what it takes to succeed.
So, they take more challenges while selecting a job.
On the other hand, individuals with low self-esteem are more susceptible to
external distractions. So, they are more likely to seek the approval of others and
to adapt the beliefs and behaviors of those they respect.
Self-monitoring
Self-monitoring is the capability of regulating one’s behavior according to
social situations. Individuals with high self-monitoring skill easily adjust their
behavior according to external, situational factors. Their impulsive talents allow
them to present public personae which are completely different from their
private personalities.
However, people with low self-monitoring skills cannot cover themselves.
Regardless of any situation, they are always themselves. They have an attitude
of, “what you see is what you get.”
Risk taking
Generally, managers are reluctant on taking risks. However, individual risk-
taking inclination affects the bulk of information required by the managers and
how long it takes them to make decisions.
Thus, it is very important to recognize these differences and align risk-taking
propensity with precise job demands that can make sense.

[Link]
organizational_behavior_personality.htm