What are the factors affecting individual behaviour?

The various personal factors influencing individual behavior have been classified as shown in the following chart.

Personal factors and Psychological factors influencing individual behavior

Each of the factors is explained below.

1. Age of an Individual influence behavior

Among the personal factors influencing behavior the most important is a person’s age. Generally speaking as an employee grows older his level of enthusiasm for work may decline. This happens either because the employee feels saturated or because he lacks physical fitness. It is for this reason that for certain jobs as those of sales representatives youngsters are always preferred.

Another point worth mentioning here is that the older members of the organization may not be prepared to adapt themselves to the changing environment. They are generally conservatives who prefer to work in the conventional manner. The rate of absenteeism is likely to be higher in the case of older employees. The number of people opting for voluntary retirement is also higher among elders.

2. Sex of an Individual Influence Behavior

Men in the workplace generally show greater interest in union activities. Women employees, on the other hand, may be reluctant to even join trade unions. Employers, generally feel that women employees are more sincere and will show greater commitment towards the job. Many organization prefer women employee for this reason.

But due to domestic obligations and unavoidable circumstances, women employees may avail leave frequently which cannot be denied. Say for example, a pregnant employee may avail maternity leave which cannot be neglected as per law. So, sexual differences here influence individual behavior.

3. Education of an Individual Influence Behavior

The level of education of an individual does influence behavior. The general belief is that education disciplines a person. An educated employee knows how to get things done in the workplace without incurring anyone’s displeasure. He does not lose temper but quietly achieves his goals.

The influence of level of education on a person’s behavior may also be explained from another angle. A highly qualified person when offered with lower level job, may not show enthusiasm in his job. Such a person deserves a better placement. On the other hand, if a person with lower qualification is placed in a higher level job he cannot perform well in his duties. Thus, Selection and placement of the right person for the right job is very much important.

4. Marital Status of an Individual Influence Behavior

The need for a secured job and stable income is greater in case of married employees. A married employee has greater domestic commitments and therefore adapts himself to the needs of the organization. He cannot resign his job in case he derives less or no job satisfaction or finds the work environment not conducive.

On the other hand, an unmarried employee without much domestic commitments may find a better job if the present job does not give him satisfaction. So, marital status of an employee influence behavior.

5. Potentials of an Individual influence Behavior

Needless to say, the potentials of an individual influence his behavior. A person with the ability to perform any task effortlessly is able to be emphatic. He is in a position to demand better status in the organization. It is only people with greater potentials who contribute significantly to the progress of any organization. It is, therefore, quite natural that such people are given higher remuneration and greater decision-making authority.

A sales officer, for example, who always attains or exceeds his targets has to be given greater incentives failing which he may leave the organization and join some other organization that recognizes his potentials.

Psychological Factors influencing Individual Behavior

Various psychological factors influencing individual behavior are briefly explained as follows.

1. Personality of an Individual influence behavior

The personality of a person, as misunderstood by many, is not just determined by his physical appearance alone. The physical characteristics of a person, no doubt, are important but these get noticed only if accompanied by certain intellectual qualities as stated below:

1. Communication ability
2. Inquisitiveness
3. Perseverance
4. Reasoning power
5. Leadership capacity and so on.

An individual, who possesses the attributes mentioned above, can certainly command respect wherever he is. Such a person is always able to achieve what he wants to achieve.

2. Perception of an Individual Influence Behavior

Perception is the process of knowing or understanding. A given situation is perceived differently by different people. If the perception of a person is correct he/his organization stands to benefit. If it turns out to be incorrect he/his organization loses.

Every organization requires people who are in a position to perceive things right. A person without the capacity to make correct perceptions has to listen to those who possess such a capacity. So perception of individuals greatly influence their behavior.

3. Attitudes of Individuals Influence Behavior

In the context of the workplace, attitude is the feeling of an employee about his job, his superiors and fellow-employees. Attitude may be positive or negative. An employee with a positive attitude likes his job, carries out the tasks assigned by his superior and maintains friendly relationships with the fellow-employees.

Employees with a negative attitude, on the other hand, are insincere in their work. They quarrel frequently with their superiors and fellow-workmen.

4. Values of an Individual Influence Behavior

The ‘values’ of a person indicate to him as to what is good and what is bad. Different people have different values. For example, some people are spendthrifts while others consciously save. Some contribute to charity while others do not.

In the workplace the values of an individual do influence his behavior. For example, if an employee’s value system tells him that he should not strike work to express his grievances to the employer, he will not take part in strikes. Likewise, an employee, who wants to be sincere in his work, will not be whiling away his time.

5. Learning Influence Behavior

Learning is the process of bringing about changes in an individual’s behavior. Employee absenteeism, for example, may be a problem faced in many organizations. As employees are eligible for certain types of leave, e.g., casual leave, sick leave, earned leave etc., they may be willing to avail the same. But this affects employee attendance.

To secure better employee attendance certain measures may be adopted. For example, casual leave and sick leave can be made encashable. Such a measure would encourage good attendance.

Individual behavior refers to the actions, responses, reactions, and behaving ways of the individual in a particular position. It is the combination of responses to internal and external stimuli.

Each Individual/human behavior is different from others. Understanding human behavior helps to know how particularly people respond to some situations and express themselves.

By birth people, behavior is affected by different factors both genetic and environmental. The influence of these factors greatly determines the patterns of human behavior. In fact, by Kurt Lewin, behavior is the function of the person and the environment around him.

In an organizational setting, there seems great influence of individual behavior on organizational performance. It is important to understand how a person behaves, reacts, and expresses which let to come up with a solution and what types of duties handling capabilities he/she holds.

Positive behavior of people greatly and positively influences the performance of the company whereas the negative one adversely affects even creates losses. A manager should appreciate the positive behavior of his people and ask, force, or even punish those who show unhealthy behavior for the organization.

Factors Influencing Individual Behavior

It is obvious that we behave differently in different situations. It is all agreed that human behavior is caused, motivated, and goal-directed.

We behave and respond to something based on our knowledge, experience, and environment around us. In fact, these are the factors that form individual behavior.

There are diversified factors affecting individual behavior however they are broadly classified into four categories.

• Personal biographical factors.
• Psychological factors.
• Environmental factors.
• Organizational factors.

Personal Biographical Factors

Individual biographical factors are inherited in nature. These are inherited by individuals from their parents. From the date they come to the earth they are characterized by biographical factors. They are:

Sex. Sex or gender is an inherited characteristic that is determined by birth as male or female. Found, males are emotionally stronger than women. Even physically males are stronger. Traditionally, females are mainly involved in household work and males are in work. But, this has changed men and women equally involved in jobs.

Age. Age is the length of time that determines the time a person lived. The age of an individual start to increase from the day he/she is born. At a young age, people tend to be more creative and energetic and are curious to explore things.

Education. By birth, people learn to speak, walk, behave, and respond to their surroundings. Parents and other family members are the first educators of people. From the parents, children learn the basic education, and morality, and become socialized human beings.

Abilities. It is the personal strength people have. The inherited ability of individuals is greatly influenced by the health of parents, nutrition, and the environment around them. Abilities can be inherited or learned.

Marital Status. Married people seem more responsible towards family than other unmarried. For them steady jobs become important and such employees are expected to devote their best effort to the workplace.

Psychological Factors

Psychological factors are the learned characteristics of the individual. These are the factors individuals have to learn from the environment and built concepts about the world. Major psychological factors are:

Personality. Everyone’s personality is unique. Personality refers to the ways a person thinks, feels, acts, and behaves and which are unique from others. The unique nature of individuals is the psychological characteristics that they gained from experience and knowledge.

Perception. Perception is the viewpoints of individuals around the world and the interpretation of the things they see. It is the psychological process of seeing objects and constructing conclusions. Two persons’ perceptions are different their seeing way of the world probably can not be the same.

Attitudes. Attitude is the belief system that directs our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Attitude can be positive or negative as so we differently respond to people, situations, and ideas.

Values. Values are the moral belief and structures of people that guide their actions. Values consist of an individual’s philosophy as to what is good, right, or desirable and they contain moral flavor.

Learning. Humans are learning beings. From birth to death people never stops learning. It takes place during interaction with the environment and relatively permanently changes the thinking, behavior, and actions of people.

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors are inevitable factors that have a greater influence on individual behavior. Such as:

Economic Conditions. A person with a stable job and a good salary will definitely seem fit and clean than a person who doesn’t have one. When there are more employment opportunities the economic conditions of people seem to be good and living standards also improve.

Political Conditions. Politics have a great influence on organizations, people, and the whole nation. People are knowingly and unknowingly affected by the political system. A stable political system is required to operate stables jobs opportunities, provide freedom to people, and make different choices as they want.

Cultural Values. Every society’s cultural values are different. Whenever a person shifts to the next society he must understand and adapt their cultural ties. Similarly, different organizations have different cultures that employees must assume.

Organizational Factors

In organizational settings, there are also different factors that affect individuals i.e. employees’ behavior working there. Such as:

Physical Facilities. Physical facilities of an organization refer to the physical condition consisting of office furnishing, the comfort of working, etc. The physical environment of the organization positively influences employees – they feel physically safe working there.

Organizational Structure. It refers to how an organization is structured, and how different roles, responsibilities, and duties are divided. A sound organizational structure clearly defines the how-to functions freeing employees’ from roles conflicts and achieving greater efficiency.

Leadership Styles. Today managers are leaders also. Being a manager he should have to influence and encourage his employees for better performance. In an encouraging working environment, employees tend to stay longer and reduce turnover.

Reward System. It is agreed that individual behavior is goal-directed. Employees feel motivated, stay longer, and contribute their best effort in an organization that has a fair pay system.