Personality Defined Relatively stable pattern of behaviors and consistent internal states that explain a person's behavioral tendencies
Personality Includes: • Perceptions • Attitudes • Cognitions • Temperament • Emotions • actions
Nature vs. Nuture • The issue: Experts agree that both heredity and the environment shape personality differences. However, the controversy centers around theextent to which genetic and environmental factors influence personality
Biological Basis – Heredity50 – 55 % of traits may be inherited • Traits associated with temperament and sociability are traced to genetics • Tendencies toward leadership, dominance, job satisfaction • resistance to stress, work ethic, achievement
Environmental or Situational Basis • Examples of situational influences include rewards and punishments, parents, teachers, friends, superiors, culture, the work group • Traits like aggression, risk aversion, need for intimacy and comfort
General Conclusions: • Behavior is a function of the person interacting with his/her environment. Both play almost equal parts. • Personality traits are less evident in situations where social norms, or reward systems, strict rules and policies, or severe consequences constrain behavior
Problems with using Personality Testing • Tests might unfairly discriminate against some groups of people • Predictive Validity – tests are not good predictors of job performance • Intentionally misrepresenting one’s true beliefs etc. on a personality test
General Conclusions Con’t • In the last 10 years some personality traits have regained some credibility in predicted work-related behaviors, stress reactions, and emotions
Extroversion Openness to Experience Conscientiousness Agreeableness Neuroticism/Emotional Stability Big Five Personality Dimensions Organized, careful,dependable, ach. oriented Courteous, good-natured, empathic Anxious, hostile, depressedpoised, secure, calm Sensitive, flexible, creative, curious Outgoing, sociable, assertive
Connection between BIG 5 & Job Performance • Conscientiousness is the best predictor of job & training performance and employee theft in almost every job group. • Set higher goals, more motivated, have higher performance expectations
Continued • Extroversion correlates positively with sales and mgmt jobs, promotions, salary level, career satisfaction (weak correlations) • Emotional Stability and agreeableness are associated with better customer service.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator • Extroversion versus introversion • Sensing versus intuition • Thinking versus feeling • Judging versus perceiving Courtesy of Thompson Doyle Hennessey & Everest
Self Esteem • Self Esteem – a belief about one’s own worth based on an overall evaluation • Self –esteem is related to initial career (job) choice, risk taking, high status, goal setting, co-worker relationships, stress, conflict, achievement.
Self - Efficacy • Self Efficacy – a person’s expectations or beliefs about her chances of successfully accomplishing a specific task, or group of tasks. Self-efficacy expectations or beliefs predict various behaviors. • Leadership, learning, motivation etc.
Locus of Control • Locus of control – the extent to which individuals believe that they can control events affecting them. • High LOC or Internals believe in their own effort and ability determine events in their lives • Low LOC or Externals believe events are mainly due to external causes such as chance, luck, fate or other people
Research and Locus of Control • Internals display greater work motivation • Internals have stronger expectations that effort leads to performance • Internals exhibit higher performance on tasks involving learning or problem solving • Internals exert influence more often
Continued • There is a stronger relationship between job satisfaction and job performance for internals • Internal’s obtain higher salaries and greater salary increases • Strong relationship between internals and leadership • Externals tend to be more anxious
Self Monitoring • Self Monitoring – situational and interpersonal appropriateness of social behavior, self expression and self presentation. Also, an individual’s sensitivity to the expressive behavior of others. High SM’s use situational cues or social information to regulate their own verbal and nonverbal self presentation. They can adjust their behavior easily. They show less stability in personality traits.
Self Monitoring Con’t • Low SM’s are more likely to reveal their moods and personal characteristics and act more from their dispositional states across situations. • SM has been related to leadership, networking, stress, promotions and changing jobs.
Negative Affectivity • Negative affectivity – a temporary mood state or a more chronic tendency toward negative emotionality and self concept. A tendency to view most things and life negatively. • Related to stress, health, job satisfaction, job commitment
Type A Behavior Pattern • Characteristics: impatience, competitiveness, hostility, desire for achievement, strong sense of time urgency, thrive on routine • Related to work stress, cardiovascular health, resistance to change
