Personality and Values

Human Behavior in Human Behavior in OrganizationsOrganizations

Discussion on Personality

• Why are some people quiet and passive, while others are loud and aggressive?

• Are certain personality types better adapted than others for certain jobs?

Personality

• Its definition came from Gordon Allport, some 70 years ago“ the dynamic organization

within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his environment ”

Personality

• Sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others

unique and relatively stable patterns of behavior, thoughts, and emotions shown by individuals

• Measurable traits a person exhibits

Measuring Personality

• Useful in hiring decisions and help managers forecast who is the best for a job

• And effectively manage people

Measuring Personality

• Objective TestsObjective Tests: Questionnaires and inventories designed to measure various aspects of personality.

• ReliabilityReliability: The extent to which a test yields consistent scores on various occasions.

• ValidityValidity: The extent to which a test actually measures what it claims to measure.

Means of Measuring Personality

• Self-report survey Individuals evaluate themselves on a series of factors Weakness: respondent might lie respondent might lie or practice

impression management, “fake good” to create good impression

Another problem: accuracy accuracy

• Observer-rating surveys Provide an independent assessment of personality, a

co-worker or another observer does the rating Better predictor of success on the job

Personality Determinants

• Individual’s personality result of heredityheredity or of environmentenvironment? Result of Both…Result of Both…

Heredity Heredity – factors determined at conception e.g. physical stature, facial attractiveness, temperament, energy levels and biological rhythms

-- an individual’s personality is the molecular structure of the genes, located in the chromosomes

Our parents may make our personalities in giving us their genes

Changes in Personality Scores

People’s scores on measures of dependability tend to increase over time

Personality is more changeable in adolescence and more stable among adults

Personality Traits

• When an individual exhibits characteristics I a large number of situation

shy aggressive submissive lazy ambitious loyal timid, etc.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

• Most widely used personality assessment instrument in the world

• 100-question personality test that asks people how they usually feel or act in particular situations

16 Personality Types:

• Widely used by organizations including Apple, AT&T, Citigroup, GE, 3M, many hospitals and educational institutions, also the US Armed Forces

• Valuable tool for increasing self-awareness and providing career guidance but results tend to be unrelated to job performance

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Five basic dimensions of personality that are assumed to underlie many specific traits– Extraversion-Introversion– Conscientiousness– Agreeableness– Emotional Stability– Openness to Experience

Extraversion-Introversion

The degree to which individuals are gregarious, assertive, and sociable (extraverts) versus being reserved, timid, and quiet (introverts).

Conscientiousness

The extent to which individuals are hardworking, organized, dependable, and persevering (high conscientiousness) versus lazy, disorganized, and unreliable (low conscientiousness).

Agreeableness

The extent to which individuals are cooperative and warm, trusting (highly agreeable) versus cold and antagonist (highly disagreeable).

Emotional Stability

The degree to which individuals are insecure, anxious, depressed, and emotional (emotionally unstable) versus calm, self-confident, and secure (emotionally stable).

Openness to Experience

The extent to which individuals are creative, curious, and cultured (open to experience) versus practical and with narrow interests (closed to experience).

Big 5 Traits Predict Behavior at Work

• Research found relationships between the personality dimensions and job performance Employees who score high in

conscientiousness develop higher levels of job knowledge

Higher levels of job knowledge then contribute to higher levels of job performance

Other Personality Traits Relevant to OB• More specific attributes that are powerful

predictors of behavior in organizations:Core self-evaluationCore self-evaluationMechiavellianismMechiavellianismNarcissismNarcissismSelf-monitoring Self-monitoring Risk taking Risk taking Type AType AProactive personalitiesProactive personalities

Machiavellianism

A personality trait involving willingness to manipulate others for one’s own purposes.

Machiavellian tactics:Neglecting to share important information (e.g., claiming to

“forget” to tell you about key meetings and assignments).Finding subtle ways of making you look bad to management

(e.g., damning you with faint praise).Failing to meet obligations (e.g., not holding up their end on

joint projects, thereby causing you to look bad).Spreading false rumors about you (e.g., making up things

about you that embarrass you in front of others).

Class Exercise

In the space next to each item, enter a number that characterizes your own feelings about that statement. [Disagree Strongly – 1; Disagree – 2; Neither – 3; Agree – 4; and, Agree Strongly – 5]

1. The best way to handle a person is to tell them what they want to hear.

2. When you ask someone to do something for you, it is best to give the real reasons for wanting it rather than give reasons that may carry more weight.

3. Anyone that completely trusts anyone else is asking for trouble.

4. It is hard to get ahead without cutting corners and bending the rules.

5. It is safest to assume that all people have a vicious streak – and that it will come out when given a chance.

6. It is never right to lie to someone else.

7. Most people are basically good and kind.

8. Most poeple work hard only when they are forced to do so.

Measuring Machiavellianism

1. Add your responses to questions 1,3, 4, 5, and 8.

2. To this number add the sum of 2, 6, and 7 (after scoring them in reverse, 5=1)

3. Finally, add your scores

The higher your score . . .

The more Machiavellianism you tend to be!!

Self-Monitoring

A personality trait involving the extent to which individuals adapt their behavior to the demands of specific situations so as to make good impressions on others.Consequences of self-monitoring: Work PerformanceWork Performance: High self-monitors tend to do

better than low self-monitors in jobs requiring boundary-spanning activities.

Career SuccessCareer Success: High self-monitors tend to obtain more promotions than low self-monitors.

Interpersonal RelationshipsInterpersonal Relationships: High self-monitors tend to form less stable and shallower personal relationships with others than low self-monitors.

Self-Monitoring

Type A vs. Type B

Type A Behavior PatternType A Behavior Pattern: A pattern of behavior involving high levels of competitiveness, time urgency, and irritability.

Type B Behavior PatternType B Behavior Pattern: A pattern of behavior characterized by a casual, laid-back style; the opposite of the Type A behavior pattern.

Type A vs. Type B

Task PerformanceTask Performance Type As tend to excel on tasks involving time

pressure or solitary work. Type Bs have the advantage when it comes to

tasks involving complex judgments and accuracy as opposed to speed.

Interpersonal RelationsInterpersonal Relations Type As tend to annoy coworkers, are more likely

to lose their tempers and lash out at others, are more likely to become involved in conflict, and are more likely to engage in aggressive and counterproductive behavior.

Discussion

Suppose you were hiring someone to perform a job that required very fast performance. Would you prefer a type A or a type B person? Why?

Type As work harder than Type Bs at various tasks and as a result, perform at higher levels. Type As do tend to work faster than Type Bs on many tasks, even when no pressure or deadline is in volved. Similarly, Type As can get more done in the presence of distractions. They tend to seek more difficult and challenging work than Type Bs. Type As are not always superior to Type Bs. Type As fre quently perform poorly on certain kinds of tasks, including those requiring patience or careful judgment. The impatience of Type A’s often is incompatible with the deliber ate, carefully considered decisions required from top-level managers.

Core self-evaluation

• People with positive core self-evaluations like themselves and see themselves as effective, capable, and in control of their environment

• Those with negative core self-evaluations tend to dislike themselves, question their capabilities and view themselves as powerless over their environment

Narcissism

• The term is from the Greek myth of Narcissus• Narcissism describes a person who has

grandiose sense of self-importance, requires excessive admiration, has a sense of entitlement, and is arrogant

Risk taking

"People differ in their willingness to take chances… High risk taking managers made more rapid decisions and used less information in making their choices than did the low risk-taking managers.

Proactive Personality

• Identify opportunities, show initiative, take action, and persevere until meaningful change occurs

• They create positive change in their environment, regardless of constraints or obstacles

• Seen as leaders and acts as change agents within an organization

• They select, create, and influence work situations in their favor

Personality Concepts

PersonalityPersonality: The unique and relatively stable patterns of behavior, thoughts, and emotions shown by individuals.Interactionist PerspectiveInteractionist Perspective: The view that behavior is a result of a complex interplay between personality and situational factors.Person-Job FitPerson-Job Fit: The extent to which individuals possess the traits and competencies required to perform specific jobs.

Basic convictions that a specific mode of conductor end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of

conduct or end-state of existence

Value System: A hierarchy based on a ranking of Value System: A hierarchy based on a ranking of an individual's values in terms of their intensity, an individual's values in terms of their intensity,

such as freedom, pleasure, self-respect, honesty, such as freedom, pleasure, self-respect, honesty, obedience, and equalityobedience, and equality

Importance of Values

"Values are important to the study of organizational "Values are important to the study of organizational behavior because they lay the foundation for the behavior because they lay the foundation for the

understanding of attitudes and motivation and understanding of attitudes and motivation and because they influence our perceptions"because they influence our perceptions"

Types of Values

a) Terminal Values: Desirable end-states of existence; the goals that a person would like to

achieve during his or her lifetime.

b) Instrumental Values: Preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving one's terminal

values.

Terminal Values vs Instrumental Values

Terminal ValuesA comfortable life (a prosperous life)An exiting life (a stimulating, active life)A sense of accomplishment (lasting contribution)A world at peace (free of war and conflict)A world of beauty (beauty of nature and the arts)Equality (brotherhood, equal opportunity for all)Family security (taking care of loved ones)Freedom (independence, free choice)Happiness (contentedness)Inner harmony (freedom from inner conflict)Mature love (sexual and spiritual intimacy)National security (protection from attack)Pleasure (an enjoyable, leisurely life)Salvation (saved, eternal life)Self-respect (self-esteem)Social recognition (respect, admiration)True friendship (close companionship)Wisdom (a mature understanding of life)

Instrumental ValuesAmbitious (hardworking, aspiring)Broad-minded (open-minded)Capable (competent, effective)Cheerful (lighthearted, joyful)Clean (neat, tidy)Courageous (standing up for your beliefs)Forgiving (willing to pardon others)Helpful (working for the welfare of others)Honest (sincere, truthful)Imaginative (daring, creative)Independent (self-reliant, self-sufficient)Intellectual (intelligent, reflective)Logical (consistent, rational)Loving (affectionate, tender)Obedient (dutiful, respectful)Polite (courteous, well-mannered)Responsible (dependable, reliable)Self-controlled (restrained, self-disciplined)

Linking Personality and Values to the Workplace

• Organizations were concerned on with personality to match individuals to specific jobs, now it has expanded to include how well the individual’s personality and match the organization.

Person-Job Fit

• Matching job requirements with personality characteristics

• The theory argues that satisfaction is highest and turnover is lowest when personality and occupation are in agreement

Person-Organization Fit

• Importance of employee’s personalities fit with the overall organization’s culture than with the characteristics of any specific job

• People are attracted to and selected by organizations that match their value, and they leave organizations that are not compatible with their personalities