Question

Q6** Describe the concept of learning and examine how any three (3) internal factors can adversely affect learning and change in individual’s behaviour within the organization.

Answer 1

The Concept of Learning is explained below:
Learning is about a change: the change brought about by developing a new skill, understanding a scientific law, changing an attitude. The change is not merely incidental or natural in the way that our appearance changes as we get older. Learning is a relatively permanent change, usually brought about intentionally. When we attend a course, search through a book, or read a discussion paper, we set out to learn! Other learning can take place without planning, for example by experience. Generally, with all learning, there is an element within us of wishing to remember and understand why something happens and to do it better next time.

Change in individual's behavior within an organization is governed by 3 factors, these are :

1. Motivation: Forces within a person that drives his or her direction, intensity, and persistence of voluntary behavior.

2. Roles:
•Role Perceptions: beliefs about what behaviors are appropriate or necessary in a particular situation, including job tasks, relative importance, and preferred behaviors to accomplish those tasks.
•Role Problems: Role Overload, Role Conflict, Role Ambiguity.

3. Situational Contingencies: environmental factors outside of employee control that constrain or facilitate their behavior and/or performance.

Factors affecting learning are:

• Intellectual factor: The term refers to the individual mental level.
• Physical factors
• Mental factors
• Emotional and social factors