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📘 CHAPTER 11 — Managing Individual Differences & Behavior

This chapter explains why people behave the way they do at work, and how managers can influence that behavior.

⭐ 1. Individual Differences

Employees differ by personality, values, attitudes, emotions, and perception.

Managers must understand these differences to motivate effectively and assign roles.

⭐ 2. Personality & the Big Five Traits

Personality = stable psychological traits that influence behavior.

Big Five Traits

Openness to experience → creative, curious, imaginative

Conscientiousness → dependable, responsible, organized

Strongest predictor of job performance

Extraversion → outgoing, sociable

Agreeableness → cooperative, trusting

Neuroticism (Emotional Stability) → anxious vs. calm

Exam Tip: Know how each trait affects workplace behavior. Example: High neuroticism = lower job satisfaction.

⭐ 3. Core Self-Evaluations (CSE)

A broad personality trait that predicts motivation and performance.

Components:

Self-efficacy

Belief in one’s ability to accomplish a task

High → more persistence; Low → needs support

Self-esteem

Overall self-worth

High → less pressure-sensitive; Low → easily threatened

Locus of Control

Internal → believe you control outcomes

External → outcomes happen to you

Emotional stability

Ability to stay calm under pressure

Managers adjust tasks based on these differences (e.g., give high internal LOC employees more autonomy).

⭐ 4. Values & Attitudes

Values = deeply held beliefs

Attitudes = learned predispositions toward something (three components):

Affective component → feeling (“I hate my job”)

Cognitive component → belief (“My job is boring”)

Behavioral component → intention (“I will quit”)

Cognitive Dissonance: psychological tension when attitudes and behavior don’t match.

Employees try to reduce it (justify, change behavior, change attitude).

⭐ 5. Perception & Perceptual Distortions

Perception = interpreting sensory information.

Distortions include:

Stereotyping

Halo/Horn effect

Recency effect (recent info weighs too heavily)

Causal attributions → explanations for behavior

Fundamental Attribution Error (overemphasize internal causes for others)

Self-serving bias (attribute success to internal, failure to external)

⭐ 6. Workplace Behaviors

1. Job Performance

How well employees do duties.

2. OCBs (Organizational Citizenship Behaviors)

Going above requirements → good for teams.

3. CWB (Counterproductive Work Behaviors)