In this chapter there are severalthings of special importance that have been considered. First, personality isbriefly traced and attention given to the contributions and limitations ofpsychological theory, trait-factor theory, and the need theories of Maslow andMcClelland. All of these important formulations provide some useful informationabout the behavior of individuals in organizations.
Next, a systems view of humanbehavior was proposed to illustrate how cognitive processes and needs act uponenvironmentally induced stimuli. This interaction results in actions that areonce again subjected to the influence of environmental forces. In this section,attention is given to the complex problem of how heredity (nature) andexperience (nurture) interact in determining human behavior. The conclusiondrawn is that most important aspects of behavior are neither genetically norenvironmentally determined. Instead they result from the influence of the two.
An attempt has also been made toexamine the relationship between culture and behavior. Since culture includesall learned behavior, the discussion is restricted to the influence ofgenerational values and the specific importance of value differences amongsocial classes and work groups.
The final major topic ofdiscussion related to attitudes and attitude change. A careful analysis is madeof attitude formation and the controversial relationship between attitudes andbehavior. Although some studies question any casual association betweenattitudes and behavior, most of the discrepancies can be explained onmethodological grounds.
