Understanding individual’s actions within the organisation environment requires an adequate understanding of organizational behaviour. There are several theories that have been developed and applied in the acts of describing and predicting behaviours or actions in organizations. These models range from viewing employees as rational economic beings driven by monetary incentives to more complex views that consider social, psychological, and self-actualizing aspects of human motivation.

Meaning of Organizational Behavior

Organization- two or more person works to achieve an objective.

Behavior – action or reaction of an individual or group (what person says or does).

Organizational behavior is concerned with the study of what people do in an organization and how their behavior affect the performance of the organization.

It refers to a systematic study of human behavior in the organization so that organizational objective is achieved and effectiveness is improved.

OB is the study and application of knowledge about how people act within organization because if you don’t study you will not able to use them effectively.  It is a kind of study pertaining to “what people do within an organization” and “how their behavior affects the performance of an organization”. Organizational conduct relates primarily to job-related concerns such as jobs, work, leaves, turnover, efficiency, human resources, and management.

Study of “organization behavior does offer challenges and opportunities for managers since it focuses on ways and means to improve productivity, minimize absenteeism, increase employee job satisfaction, etc.”

Provides opportunity to management to analyze human behavior and prescribe means for shaping it to particular direction. Organization behavior helps to analyze why and how an individual behaves in particular way.

Models of Mans/Individual Behaviors

Models are techniques which helps us to understand complex things and ideas in clear manner.

Managers try to understand individual difference in order to understand their human behavior and individual difference result in variation in individual behavior and performance in terms of their perception, personality, motivation and other behavioral issues because different jobs need different behavior.

A research study was conducted at Texas instrument establishes that different types of individuals prefer different behavior and managerial patternlike:

• Tribalistic: prefer directive, strong leadership from their boss.

• Ego-centric- desire to work alone in their own entrepreneurial style.

• Socio centric: seek social relationship.

• Existential: strives for satisfying the growth and self-fulfillment needs from their jobs.

Mangers understand individual difference in order to make a balance between the individual behavior and job demands and they make assumptions to understand human being.

Different models are being followed by different managers in the organization. These are the powerful guide to understand the behavior.

Different Models of Mans:

1. Rational economic man:

From the organizational perspective, managers have viewed their employees as rational beings who are primarily motivated by money. They took the ‘economic man’ and ‘rational man’ approach to understand and predict the human behavior. This model is based on classical organization theory. The scientific management movement was based on the belief that by rationally explaining the one best way to do things is offering incentives to workers in the form of piece rates and bonuses so that organizational output is achieved and in this case, there is no organization-employees conflict because both are satisfying their needs simultaneously. Management is getting more production and employees are getting more money.

Assumptions of Rational economic man: –

• Man is basically motivated by economic incentives like salary and fringe benefits and they will do the things which get them greatest benefits.

• Since economic incentives are under the control of organization. People are essentially passive agents to be manipulated, motivated and controlled by the organization.

• Work more and better when salary more and works less.

• Compares the cost and benefits.

• Man, prefer to maximize his satisfaction level through monetary incentives.

• Prefers to equalize marginal efforts and marginal inducement of the work.

• Human beings are passive agents, who are easily manipulated, motivated and controlled by the organization.

• People’s feeling is essentially irrational and must be prevented from interfering with their rational calculation of self interest.

• Organization can and must be designed in such a way as to neutralize and control people’s feeling.

Drawbacks of Rational economic man

• Model is based on the classical organization theory and do not suit the present-day of organizations.

• The economic incentives can work till the man is not reasonably satisfied by the need of money.

• Limited scope of economic incentives.

2. Social Man:

Man is social animal. He can’t live in isolation, they prefer to create and develop social relationship with other members of the society like affiliation, belongingness, acceptance and association with others. Individuals can be motivated by satisfying their social needs. Elton mayo conceived the concept of social man when he carried out haw throne studies during 1927-32.

With the passage of time everyone thought that man is a social king, they recognized that man is a part of the social group he is influenced by the social forces and seeks satisfaction of the needs which are related to the maintenance of his social relationship.  Human beings are basically motivated by social needs and all their efforts are directed towards getting this satisfaction by maintaining relationships with others. The amount of work to be done by a worker is not determined by his physical capacity or by the management but by the social norms. 

Generally, people do not act or react as individuals but as members of a group. Management should change and organize work in such a way that it provides more belongingness. Earlier, the only concern of die management was to provide economic incentives to the workers or in other words to look after their economic needs, but under this concept, the psychological needs were also to be considered. The type of managerial strategy that is to be applied in the case of social man is quite different as compared to the strategy to be applied in case of economic-rational man.

Assumption of Social man

• Individuals can be controlled by satisfying their social needs.

• Generally, people do not act or react as individuals but as member of a group.

• Guided by the social norms.

• People are influenced by informal leaders.

• Management should change, strategies and organize work in such a way that it provides more belongingness.

• Man values the social relationships more than appeasement by the management through economic incentives.

• Man is more responsive to social relations and group pressure.

• Management can motivate the individual by satisfying their social needs only.

• Management should design the jobs in such a way that they provide the opportunity to the employees to satisfy their social needs.

3. Organizational Man:

Organization man is an extension (more than) of social man. The concept of organization man was introduced by William Whyte. He believed that it is very important for a person to be loyal to the organization and cooperative with the associated workers. Any person who believes in this value system and acts in this way is an organization man. Organizational man is possessive for organization and complete his work effectively and on time. The organization man concept emphasis, that there is no conflict between the individual interest and the interest of the organization. Even if there is any conflict, individual interest will be sacrificed as they are workaholic.

Assumption of Organizational man

• The assumption is that management will take care of the individual interests. It would be the duty of the management to satisfy the needs of the individuals. People will be willing to sacrifice their interests for the organization only if they are positive that the organization would take care of them.

• Group and collaborative activities contribute for creativity and Individual by himself cannot be creative.

• Ultimate need of every individual is belongingness.

• Achieved with the help of scientific methods.

• Emphasis that there is no conflict between individual interest and interest of the organization.

• Organization man is committed and loyal to the organization.

• Individual sacrifice their needs for the sake of satisfaction and requirements of group.

• Man prefers to live and work along with others as his belonging and affiliations needs are ultimate.

• Individuals and social needs are balanced by eliminating the conflicts between them by creating an organization and also by applying scientific methods.

4. The Self-Actualization Man:

The concept of self-actualization man is a further extension of social man and the organization man models. The social man concept assumes that the formation of social groups is the basis of satisfaction for the individuals. But as against this the self-actualization man assumes that man’s inherent need is to use his capabilities and skills in such a way that he should have the satisfaction of creating certain things. The earlier models do not allow him to satisfy his self-actualization needs.

This model specifies that employee’s behavior is depend on challenging and creative work which explore potential. Employees are satisfying more when they achieve and create something special, they gets bore when same work is assigning every time.

Assumptions of Self-Actualization man

• This model specifies that employee behavior depends upon the challenging and creative work which exploits employee potentialities.

• Man is primarily self-motivated and self-controlled and any incentives given by the organization cannot motivate him after a certain point of time.

• Employee are satisfied most when they achieve and create something special.

• Self-actualization man behaves constructively and efficiently.

• There are various changes in the behavior of the individual and he moves from immaturity to maturity.

• When self-actualization is achieved all the other needs of the person satisfied.

• Man is primarily self-motivated and self-controlled and any incentives given by the management cannot motivate after certain point of time and any control imposed on him cannot threaten.

• The earlier models were based on the assumption that a man has got immature personality and but reality is that if the man is left free, he will put his maximum efforts.

Various needs of a man can be put in priority. Maslow puts various needs in a hierarchy. Every unsatisfied need is motivational factor for him.

I. Physiological

II. Safety

III. Belonginess

IV. Esteem

V. Self-actualization

5. Complex man:

It is that man who are complex in nature. It is challenging and often difficult for managers and organizational leaders to understand and predict individual behavior because of their individual differences. It is not necessary that everyone will behave accordingly, this model is quite complex, its emphasis on the fact that human behaviors are not as simple. Mans behaves differently in similar situation. Predicting and managing human behavior is a complex task as complex variable determine the human behavior.

Assumptions of complex man:

• People are not only complex but also variable.

• Capable of learning new motives through their organizational experiences.

• Respond to many different kinds of management strategies.

• Presents the real picture of human behavior.

• Man is motivated by asset of complex variables and factors (physiological, psychological, social, political, religious, Climatic and geographical factors).

• Interaction of the employees with the organization enables them to learn motives.

• Variation in terms of need pattern, behavior, direction and control do exist among people.

• Human behavior cannot be understood.

• Man can behave differently in similar situation due to absence of cause effect relationship.

6. Impulsive Man:

Man acts and react spontaneously without thinking.

For an impulsive person, understanding and predicting individual behavior can be particularly challenging and difficult. Impulsive individuals often act on immediate emotions and make quick decisions without extensive reflection. Impulsive mans are difficult to predict because of their spontaneous reaction.

e.g. if ‘A’ tells ‘B’ that boss was talking against you than ‘A’ will act and react immediately without thinking.

Assumptions of Impulsive man

• Man acts and reacts spontaneously.

• Without any rational reasoning.

• Difficult to predict the behavior

7. Compulsive Man:

Does not act or react quickly, Compulsive individuals often follow strict schedules and specific patterns of behavior. These actions can include excessive cleaning, checking, counting, or organizing, among other behaviors. This need for control and predictability can dominate their daily lives, making them feel anxious or uncomfortable if their routines are not followed precisely.

e.g. if ‘A’ tells ‘B’ that boss was talking against you here, he will first think, why was he angry? Has anyone said something behind my back? If the boss has said something about me, then there must be some reason behind it. He/she takes into consideration the influences of various factors and situations and personalities.

John spends hours every day organizing and cleaning his workspace, ensuring each item is perfectly placed. His compulsion to maintain this level of order interferes with his productivity and rinsing’s his relationships with colleagues, who may find his behavior extreme and distracting. Despite this, John feels anxiety if anything is out of place, and he cannot relax until his environment meets his exacting standards.

Assumption of Compulsive man

• Does not act or react quickly.

• He or she takes into consideration the influence of various factors and situations and personalities.

Frequently Asked Questions about Models of Man/Individual Behavior in Organizations.

Conclusion of Models of Mans/Individual Behaviors

In conclusion, the study of different models of individual behavior in organizations provides valuable insights for managers aiming to boost productivity, satisfaction, and overall organizational performance. By recognizing the diverse and sometimes unpredictable nature of human behavior, managers can tailor strategies that foster a conducive work environment, align individual motivations with organizational goals, and ultimately drive success. Understanding these models helps to navigate the complexities of human interaction and motivation within the organization.

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