PD Lecture 2 individual differences-personality, ability, values, attitudes, moods, emotions, perception, attribution, and the management of diversity

Lecture 2 Individual Differences: Personality and Ability

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PersonalityIndividual Differences

LEARNING OUTCOMESDefine personality.Explain what determines personality and its importance to managers in term of personality job fit. Explain the personality traits. Discuss the attributes of personality. Relate aspects of personality to jobs

Learning Objectives

• Understand the nature of personality and how it is determined by both nature and nurture

• Describe the Big Five personality traits and their implication for understanding behaviour in organisations

• Appreciate the ways in which other personality traits, in addition to the Big Five, influence employees’ behaviours in organisations

• Describe the different kinds of abilities that employees use to perform their jobs

• Appreciate how organisations manage ability through selection, placement, and training

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What is Personality ?Personality refers to individual differences incharacter, patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.

Personality is also known as the combination ofemotional, attitudinal, and behavioural responsepatterns of an individual.

It is the sum of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with each other.

PERSONALITY DETERMINANTS

Brain Physical Factors Heredity Factors Cultural and Religious Factors Social Factors

PERSONALITY TRAITSTHE MYER-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR

The Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator is aself-inventory test designed to identify a person'spersonality type, strengths and preferences.Four different scales:

1. Extraversion (E) - Introversion (I)

2. Sensing (S) - Intuition (N)

3. Thinking (T) - Feeling (F)

4. Judging (J) - Perceiving (P)

ATTRIBUTES OF PERSONALITYLocus of ControlMachiavellianismSelf-EsteemRisk TakingType A-Type B Personality

Locus of ControlLOCUS OF CONTROL Internal and external locus of control

Research has found the following trends:•Males tend to be more internal than females•As people get older they tend to become more internal•People higher up in organizational structures tend

to be more internal

MACHIAVELLIANISMIt refers to the degree to which an individual ispractical in his approach, maintains an emotionaldistance from others and believes that ends justify themeans.

Research has revealed that individuals who scorehigh on Mach are good at manipulating others and tryto win by any means.

They do not need to be persuaded to work butinstead are able to successfully persuade others.

SELF-ESTEEMSelf-esteem is a term used in psychology to reflect a person's overall emotional

evaluation of his or her own worth. It is a

judgement of oneself as well as an attitude toward

the self.

RISK TAKING

The tendency to engage in behaviours that have the potential to be harmful or dangerous, yet at the same

time provide the opportunity for some kind

of outcome that can be perceived as positive.

TYPE A – TYPE B PERSONALITY

.Type A personality is

associated with time urgency, aggressiveness, hostility and competitiveness

Type B personality, in contrast, is the one low on these traits.

Generally, most people fall somewhere in between these two types, some leaning more towards one type than the other.

Achieving A PERSONALITYJob Fit Theory

Hollands theory is centred on the notion that most people fit into one of six (6) personality types:

Realistic (Doer) Investigative (Thinker)

Artistic (Creator)Social (Helper)

Enterprising (Persuader)Conventional(Organizer)

Achieving A PERSONALITYJob Fit Theory

Hollands theory is centred on the notion that most people fit into one of Six(6) personality types:1. Realistic (Doer) Prefers physical activities that require skill, strength and coordination. Traits include being genuine, stable, conforming and practical. Example professions include architect, farmer and engineer.

2. Investigative (Thinker) Prefers working with theory and information, thinking, organizing and understanding. Traits include being analytical, curious and independent. Example professions include lawyer, mathematician and professor..

Achieving A PERSONALITYJob Fit Theory

Artistic (Creator) – Prefers creative, original and unsystematic activities that allow creative expression. Traits include being imaginative, disorderly, idealistic, emotional and impractical. Example professions include artist, musician and writer.

Social (Helper) – Prefers activities that involve helping, healing or developing others. Traits include being cooperative, friendly, sociable and understanding. Example professions include counsellor, doctor and teacher.

Achieving A PERSONALITYJob Fit Theory

Enterprising (Persuader) – Prefers competitive environments, leadership, influence, selling and status. Traits include being ambitious, domineering, energetic and self-confident. Example professions include management, marketing and sales person.

Conventional (Organizer) – Prefers precise, rule-regulated, orderly and unambiguous activities. Traits include being conforming, efficient, practical, unimaginative and inflexible. Example professions include accountant, clerk and editor.

What Is Personality?The unique and relatively stable

patterns of behavior, thoughts,

and emotions shown by

individuals.2-19Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

The Determinants of Personality

Nature and Nurture

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The Interaction of Personality and Situational Factors

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The Big Five Model of Personality

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Extraversion

Neuroticism

Conscientiousness

Agreeableness

Openness to Experience

A Big Five Personality Profile

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Extraversion

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Extraverts enjoy being with people, are full of energy, and often experience positive emotions.

They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented individuals who are likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's go!" to opportunities for excitement.

In groups they like to talk, assert themselves, and draw attention to themselves.

Extraversion-Example

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•I am the life of the party.•I don't mind being the center of attention.•I feel comfortable around people.•I start conversations.•I talk to a lot of different people at

parties.

Agreeableness

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• Agreeableness reflects individual differences in concern with cooperation and social harmony.

• Agreeable individuals value getting along with others. They are therefore considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with others’.

• Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy.

Agreeableness-Example

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•I am interested in people.•I feel others’ emotions.•I have a soft heart.•I make people feel at ease.•I sympathize with others’ feelings.•I take time out for others.

Conscientiousness

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• Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve high levels of success through purposeful planning and persistence. They are also positively regarded by others as intelligent and reliable.

• On the negative side, they can be compulsive perfectionists and workaholics. Furthermore, extremely conscientious individuals might be regarded as stuffy and boring.

Conscientiousness-Example

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•I am always prepared.•I am exacting in my work.•I follow a schedule.•I get chores done right away.•I like order.•I pay attention to details.

Neuroticism

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• Tendency to experience negative emotions. Those who score high on Neuroticism may experience primarily one specific negative feeling such as anxiety, anger, or depression, but are likely to experience several of these emotions.

• People high in Neuroticism are emotionally reactive. They respond emotionally to events that would not affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long periods of time, which means they are often in a bad mood.

• These problems in emotional regulation can diminish a neurotic's ability to think clearly, make decisions, and cope effectively with stress.

Neuroticism-Example

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•I am easily disturbed.•I change my mood a lot.•I get irritated easily.•I get stressed out easily.•I get upset easily.•I have frequent mood swings.•I often feel blue.•I worry about things.

Openness to Experience

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Personality trait that captures the extent to which an individual is original,

open to a wide variety of stimuli,

has broad interests, and is

willing to take risks as opposed to being narrow-minded and cautious

Openness to Experience

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•I am full of ideas.•I am quick to understand things.•I have a rich vocabulary.•I have a vivid imagination.•I have excellent ideas.•I spend time reflecting on things.•I use difficult words.

Applicability to Organizational Behavior

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Employees are sometimes tested on the Big Five personality traits in collaborative situations to determine what strong personality traits they can add to the group dynamic. Personality tests can also be part of the behavioral interview process when a company is hiring to determine an individual's ability to act on certain personality characteristics.

Understanding its people is as important to a company as understanding its operations and processes. Understanding what personality components drive the behavior of subordinates is a highly useful informational data point for management that can be used to determine what type of assignments should be set, how motivation should be pursued, what team dynamics may arise, and how to best approach conflict and/or praise when applicable.

Other Personality Traits Relevant to Organisations

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Locus of Control

Internal External

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External Locus of Control: Describes people who believe that fate, luck, or outside forces are responsible for what happens to them

Internal Locus of Control: Describes people who believe that ability, effort, or their own actions determine what happens to them

Self-EsteemSelf-esteem is the extent to which people have pride in themselves and their capabilities

• People with high self-esteem feel capable, confident, and worthy.

• Those with low self-esteem have questionable self-worth, doubt, and apprehension about their ability to succeed.

High Low

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Type A vs. Type B PersonalityType A individuals have an

intense desire to achieve, are extremely competitive, have a sense of urgency, are impatient, and can be hostile

Type B individuals are more relaxed and easygoing

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The Nature of Ability• Ability: The mental or physical capacity

to do something.• Ability determines the level of

performance an employee can achieve.• Types of ability

Cognitive ability Physical ability

• Motor skill• Physical skill

Emotional intelligence2-39Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

1. Cognitive Ability

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Types of Cognitive Ability

2. Physical Ability

• Two types of physical ability: Motor skill: the ability to

physically manipulate objects in an environment

Physical skill: a person’s fitness and strength.

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The Determinants of Cognitive and Physical Abilities

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Management of Ability

Selection

Placement Training

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Personality Test

http://www.youthink.com/quiz.cfm?obj_id=124804

http://psychcentral.com/quizzes/personality.htm

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Questions(Personality)

1. Explain what determines personality?2. What were the six personality types

identified by Holland?3. Why is it important to match between

personality and the career an individual chooses?

4. “Heredity determines personality” Provide your arguments.

Values, Attitutes, Moods and Emotions

The Nature of Values Values are one’s personal convictions

about what one should strive for in life and how one should behave

Work values and ethical values are the two most related to organizational behavior.

WorkValues

EthicalValues

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Values in the Workplace

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Values

Work Values Ethical Values

Intrinsic Work

Values

Extrinsic Work

Values

JusticeValues

UtilitarianValues

Moral RightsValues

A Comparison of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Work Values

Extrinsic ValuesHigh payJob securityJob benefitsStatus in wider

communitySocial contactsTime with familyTime for hobbies

Intrinsic ValuesInteresting workChallenging workLearning new

thingsMaking important

contributionsResponsibility and

autonomyBeing creative

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What is Attitude?

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Attitudes are a person’s feelings about objects, events or other people.

An attitude is an expression of some degree of favorableness or unfavorableness toward the particular situation or object at hand.

They basically portray how we feel towards a situation and they are reflected in our reactions to the situation.

***Therefore organizations are particular about and pay special attention to the attitudes of employees as their attitudes would be reflected by their behaviours and affect their work outcome and productivity

Components of Work Attitudes

Affective Component

Behavioral Component

Cognitive Component Work Attitudes

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Components of Attitude

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Three (3) basics components of attitudes:

CognitiveReflects the underlying beliefs, opinions, knowledge or information that a person has.

AffectiveRefer to a person’s specific feelings regarding the personal impact of a cognitive component

BehaviouralAlso known as the cognitive component, this reflects a person’s intention to behave in a certain way

Job Satisfaction• Job satisfaction (the collection of

feelings and beliefs that people have about their current jobs) is one of the most important and well-researched work attitudes in organizational behavior.

• Job satisfaction affects a wide range of behaviors and contribute to employees’ levels of well-being.

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Determinants of Job Satisfaction

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JobSatisfaction

Pay and Benefits

The Nature of the Job

Opportunities for Promotions

Supervisors and managers

Co-workers and office

matesCombination of all factors

Effects of Job Satisfaction

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Promotes good health as employees have less stress.

Helps create good working relationships among office staff and organization members.

Creates healthy working culture whereby employees think strategically toward the organization’s benefit

Develops a learning organization that promotes knowledge management and sharing among employees.

Allows employees to enjoy quality of life during and after working hours.

Expressing Job Dissatisfaction

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Being aggressive in communication and

interaction.

Portraying self-centred behavior.

Disrespecting office mates and co-workers

Playing truant at work.

Avoiding social activities within the office and

organization.

Criticizing in umproductive manner

Leaving the organization.

Emotions and Moods

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Work MoodsPositiveExcitedEnthusiasti

cActiveStrongPeppyElated

NegativeDistressedFearfulScornfulHostileJitteryNervous

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Sources of Emotions and Moods•Personality•Weather•Stress•Social activities•Sleep•Exercise•Age•Gender

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EmotionsEmotions: Intense, short-lived

feelings that are linked to specific cause or antecedent

Researchers have identified basic emotions that have universal nonverbal expressions such as anger, disgust, sadness, fear, surprise, happiness, and pride.

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Values, Attitudes, Moods, and Emotions

Values(most stable)

Attitudes(moderately stable)

Moodsand Emotions(most changing)

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Exhibit 3.4

Revision Questions• Describe the Big Five personality traits and their

implication for understanding behavior in organizations.

• Describe the different kinds of abilities that employees use to perform their jobs.

• Identify three of the organizationally relevant personality traits you think would affect performance on this job, and expalin why you think they are likely to be important.

• How can an organization train jobholders to raise levels of these abilities?

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