Personality (Group Report)

• Personality


  The total number of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with the world around them
• Personality


  The relatively enduring pattern of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that characterize a person, along with the psychological processes behind those characteristics
• Personality is, in essence, the bundle of characteristics that make us similar to or different from other people. We estimate an individual's personality by what he or she says and does, and we infer the person's internal states—including thoughts and emotions— from these observable behaviors.
• How personality is measured

  • Self-Report Surveys
  • Observer-ratings surveys
• Self-Report Surveys


  Individuals evaluate themselves on a series of factors. Weakness: inaccuracy; employees might fake their responses for impression management
• Observer-ratings surveys


  A co-worker or observer does the rating. It is considered to predict job success more than self-ratings
• It is recommended to utilize a combination of self-report and observer-ratings surveys to measure personality
• Why measure personality


  Personality tests are useful in hiring decisions and help managers forecast who is best for a job
• More and more organizations are beginning to use personality tests to hire both full-time and hourly employees
• Person-Job Fit Theory


  A theory by John Holland in which it proposes that the fit between personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and turnover
• Person-Job Fit Theory


  • The more fit or matched an individual's personality is to their job, the more that they will feel satisfied and are less likely to leave the organization
  • Individualistic cultures highly value person-job fit because they expect respect from the management therefore, tailoring a job to their personality gives them more satisfaction
  • In collectivist cultures person-job fit is not much of a predictor for job satisfaction since individuals do not have such expectations
  • Providing autonomy to redesign jobs that match to their strengths are more effective to older employees than younger ones
• Person-organization Fit


  People are attracted to and are selected by organizations that match their values and they leave organizations that are not compatible with them. A match predicts high job satisfaction and commitment to the organization as well as low turnover
• Person-group fit


  The compatibility of individuals and their workgroups. Looks into how well the group dynamics are and their effect on work outcomes
• Person-supervisor fit


  Low person-supervisor fit can lead to lower job performance and satisfaction
• Factors affecting personality development

  • Genetics/Hereditary Origins (Nature)
  • Environmental Factors (Nurture)
• Genetics/Hereditary Origins


  An individual's genetic makeup, consisting of DNA sequences inherited from parents, influences the predisposition towards specific personality traits through complex interactions between multiple genes. Studies of identical twins reveal that heredity has a very large effect on personality; up to 50 percent of variation in behavior and 30 percent of temperament preferences can be attributed to a person's genetic characteristics
• Environmental Factors


  The role of environmental experiences, including family dynamics, peer relationships, cultural influences, and life events, in shaping personality development
• Environmental factors shaping personality development

  • Family Dynamics
  • Peer Relationships
  • Cultural Influences
  • Life Events
• Family Dynamics


  The family culture, including traditions, rituals, and communication patterns, shapes children's worldview, values, and identity formation. Open and supportive communication fosters emotional expression, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills, contributing to healthy personality development. Conversely, communication patterns marked by criticism, secrecy, or avoidance may hinder emotional intimacy, assertiveness, and self-expression
• Peer Relationships


  Peer relationships play a significant role in shaping personality development, particularly during adolescence and young adulthood. Peer groups provide opportunities for social comparison, identity exploration, and the development of social skills. Peer influence can shape attitudes, values, and behaviors, impacting choices related to friendships, leisure activities, and risk-taking behaviors
• Cultural Influences


  Cultural norms, values, and practices shape personality development by defining acceptable behaviors, social roles, and interpersonal relationships. Cultural diversity contributes to variations in communication styles, attitudes towards authority, and beliefs about the self and others
• Life Events


  Significant life events, such as transitions, achievements, challenges, and losses, can shape personality development by prompting self-reflection, growth, and adaptation. Positive experiences, such as academic successes or meaningful relationships, can enhance self-esteem and confidence, while adversity or trauma may lead to increased resilience or vulnerability
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)


  The most widely used personality assessment instrument in the world. It is a one-hundred-question personality test that asks people how they usually feel or act in situations. Respondents are classified as extroverted or introverted (E or I), sensing or intuitive (S or N), thinking or feeling (T or F), and judging or perceiving (J or P)
• MBTI Dimensions


  • Extroverted (E) versus Introverted (I)
  • Sensing (S) versus Intuitive (N)
  • Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F)
  • Judging (J) versus Perceiving (P)
• Weaknesses of the MBTI

  • It was developed in an unscientific, subjective way based on Carl Jung's neo-Freudian theories
  • Evidence does not support the validity of the MBTI as a measure of personality
  • It forces a person into one type or another with no in-between
  • People often receive different results when retaking the assessment
  • It does not predict job performance or other important organizational outcomes
• Why the MBTI is still widely used

  The test is written to be nonjudgmental so the results are desirable and appealing. It also satisfies a desire to know more about yourself in a simple, easy way, crafting a "appealing fantasy" of a coherent understanding of "who you are"
• Big Five Personality Model


  An impressive body of research supports this model, unlike the MBTI
• How the Big Five traits predict behavior at work

  • Openness: Creative, innovative, effective leaders, comfortable with ambiguity, adaptable
  • Conscientiousness: Develop higher job knowledge, less likely to engage in counterproductive work behaviors, adapt to changing task demands
  • Extroversion: Experience a small, persistent advantage in jobs and careers, better able to adapt to career changes, experience high job satisfaction and reduced burnout
  • Agreeableness: Do better in interpersonally oriented jobs, engage in more organizational citizenship behaviors, less likely to be ostracized
  • Emotional Stability: Adapt to unexpected or changing demands, less likely to experience burnout and work-family conflict, less likely to engage in counterproductive work behaviors
• The Big Five Model is a better predictor of job performance and other organizational outcomes compared to the MBTI
• Emotional stability (low neuroticism)


  • One of the best personality predictors of adaptive performance
  • Employees with higher emotional stability cope better with the ambiguity and uncertainty of change
  • Those with higher neuroticism view change as a threat, so they tend to avoid change and experience more stress when faced with workplace adjustments
• Dark Triad


  Three personality traits - Machiavellianism, Narcissism, Psychopathy
• People scoring high on the three Dark Triad traits are more likely to commit crimes and create severe social problems in society, community, and organizations
• Machiavellianism


  • A strong motivation to get what they want at the expense of others
  • Believe that deceit is a natural and acceptable way to achieve their goals
  • Take pleasure in misleading, outwitting, and otherwise controlling others
  • Routinely use lies, manipulation, exploitation, and other undesirable influence tactics
  • Have a cynical disregard for moral principles
  • Believe that getting more than one deserves is acceptable
  • Seldom empathize with or trust coworkers
• Narcissism


  • An obsessive belief in their superiority and entitlement
  • Have an excessive need for attention, so they aggressively engage in self promotion, exhibitionism, and other attention-seeking behaviors
  • Initially charming, but eventually become arrogant, derive pleasure from another person's misfortune, have a callous disregard for others' feelings, and exploit others for personal aggrandizement
• Psychopathy


  • Social predators who ruthlessly dominate and manipulate others, yet without empathy or any feelings of remorse or anxiety
  • Selfish self-promoters who use superficial charm, yet engage in antisocial, impulsive, and often fraudulent thrill-seeking behavior
  • Callously do as they please and take what they want
• With the Big 5 model, narcissist and psychopath are often open to new ideas and extroverted, psychopathy and Machiavellianism score low in conscientiousness, and all three score low in agreeableness, while psychopaths are hardly neurotic
• Locus of Control


  A person's belief about how much they can influence the events in their life
• Internal Locus of Control

  • Belief that your actions and traits largely determine what happens to you
  • Feel greater control over their own lives and therefore act in ways that will increase their chances of success
  • Demonstrate higher levels of motivation and have more positive experiences at work
  • Thrive in contexts in which they have the ability to influence their own behavior
  • Can also be referred to as "self-agency", "personal control", or "self-determination"
  • Generally seen as desirable
  • Can become neurotic, anxious, and depressed if they lack competence, efficacy, and opportunity
• External Locus of Control


  • Belief that external factors like luck or other people's actions are to blame for what happens in your life
  • More conforming and compliant than internals
  • Can lead easy-going, relaxed, happy lives
• Internal locus of control is related to one's subjective well-being and happiness in life, while being high in external locus is related to a higher rate of depression