What is Individual Behavior???

Table of Contents

Concept of Individual/ Human Behavior:-

  • Overall set of how an individual presents, treats, acts, responses, interacts, coordinates, reacts and supports to people in organization in order to achieve organizational objective is known as individual/ human behavior.
  • Individual behavior is influenced by culture, genetics, education, values, norms, perceptions, motives, attitudes, belief, stress and other cognitive factors.
  • Kurt Lewin believes that individual behavior is influenced by the genetic and environmental factors. He has suggested following equations for individual behavior:-
                           B=F(I,E)

  • Where behavior (B) is function (F) of internal (I) and external (E) catalysts for individual.
  • It has been also observed that behavior is product of intelligence, creativity, personality and adoptability.
  • In gist behavior is influenced by internal and external catalysts. Internal catalysts can be divided into two factors. These are personal biographical factors (like Gender, education, age, marital status and abilities etc.) and psychological factors (like motives, attitudes, values, belief, personality, perception, learning etc.).

  • External catalysts can be divided into two factors. These are environmental factors (like social norms, cultures, politics and religion etc.) and organizational factors (like Incentives, leadership, physical facilities, organizational framework and organizational setting etc.)
  • Appropriate behavior of staff leads organization towards success and inappropriate behavior of staff harms organization. Organization should always reward the appropriate behavior of staff and punish inappropriate behavior as requirements.

Mental OR Cognitive Process of Individual Behavior:-

The process of thinking and remembering is called mental process. It is the performance of cognitive activity which affects mental issues.  Human being has own specific features. Some people have strong hearing capacity, some have strong visionary capacity and some have strong memory capacity and different level of talent they have. These factors determine their behavior and habits.

Thinking and remembering power is more in human being so that mental process in human is regarded as cognitive process. Other creatures have also limited cognitive power. For example dolphin fish,  aves, monkey, dog and elephants etc.

Mental process needs following three features:-

(a).Capacity to perceive tangible and intangible information.
(b).Capacity to take out meaning by analyzing information.
(c).Capacity to solve the problem.

The process through which information coming through senses is transferred, reduced, elaborated, recovered and used is known as cognitive process.

Steps of mental or cognitive process:-

1.Perception:-

Perception is the process whereby people select, organize, interpret sensory stimulus in to meaningful information about their environment. Human or people get information about a particular event or task and process, process it and prepare positive or negative perception about it. Problem finding is perception.

2.Thinking:-

After making perception about information people start thinking the information. What is it, what advantage and disadvantage does it yield etc. are considered which is called thinking. Employees performed well or bad in an organization considering it is called perception. Why did they perform so considering it is called thinking. In reality, problem finding is perception and reason finding is thinking.

3.Problem solving:-

Perception helps to find problem and thinking finds reasons behind it then after problem solving starts. In this stage, various alternative solutions are evaluated and best alternative is chosen to solve the problems. It is also called decision stage. Following elements influence on problems solving:-

(i).Individual differences,
(ii).Emotion,
(iii).Environment etc

4. Concept Development:-

People make definite concept after solving the problems. It decides which task is good or bad or which way is good or bad. Concept brings change in behavior. For example friend who betrayed is conceptualized as bad one.

5. Creativity:-

At the end, creativity of mind increases. Instant mind utilization makes mind fast and strong. It increases decision making capacity. Mind can scan various available alternatives solutions, develop perception and new techniques are innovated to solve the problem.

Behavior as Input-Out System OR system of Individual Behavior


(A). Inputs:-

Inputs are also called independent variables. It helps in determining productivity, job satisfaction, organizational citizenship, absenteeism, turnover and conflict. Inputs are two types internal and external stimulus.

(a).Internal stimulus consists of:-

(i).Personal characteristics:-Age, gender, height, complexion, capabilities etc.
(ii).Personality:-Psychological and physical capabilities determine it etc.
(iii).Emotions:-It consists of belongingness, love, affection, relationship etc.
(iv).Belief:-It is determined by religions, cultures, society etc.
(v).Attitude:-It is individual opinion towards something etc.
(vi).Ability:-Psychological and physical capacity and power etc.

(b).External stimulus consists of:-

(i).Work Environment:-Clarity, light, security, pollution of workplace etc.
(ii).Climate:-Air, water, temperature, humidity etc.
(iii).Co-Worker:-who works together in workplace.
(iv).Boss:-Friendliness, helpfulness, temper etc of boss.
(v).Family:-It consists of wife, mother, fathers and their behavior.
(vi).Friends:-Behavior of friends.

 (B).Process:-

Process helps to convert the internal stimulus and external stimulus into outputs.

Processes are three types. These are physiological process, cognitive process and psychological process.

(a).Physiological Process:-It consists of nervous system, sensory organs and heredity etc.

(b).Cognitive Process:-The process of analyzing and making decision through the information received from the external environment is known as cognitive process. Cognitive process consists of thinking, decision making, problem solving, creativity etc.

(c).Psychological Process:-It consists of learning and motivation. Learning is the process of earning knowledge to bring permanent change in life. Motivation is encouraging to get work done.

(C).Outputs:-

Outputs are also regarded as dependent variables. These are the results acquired from inputs and processing. These dependent variables are such as:-

(a).Positive Outputs:- The behavioral results that influence favorably to organization and its performance are called positive outputs. It consists of job satisfaction, productivity and organizational citizenship.

(b).Negative Outputs:-The behavioral results that influence adversely to organization and its performance are called negative outputs. It consists of absenteeism, turnover and conflict etc.

(D). Feedback:-

The feedback system measures and evaluates outputs with desired results. Corrective action is taken if any deviation found.

 (E).Environment:-

Behavior as input-output, local environment influences on it. Environment is two types.

(a).Internal Environment:- Organizational structure, authority and power, management, policy, plan, responsibility, remuneration system, functions , reward and punishment system etc.

(b).External Environment:-Trade union, economy, technology, culture, society, national & international politics, tradition & fashion etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.What is individual behavior?
2.Explain meaning of human behavior.
3. What is human behavior?
4.Explain mental process.
5. What is mental process? Explain steps of mental process.
6. What is cognitive process? Explain steps of cognitive process.
7.Explain steps of cognitive process.
8.Explain steps of mental process.
9.Explain Individual behavior as input-output system.