2 - Personality

why is personality important for work?

we bring this to work, so as we spend time with others, it affects the relationships we make. this is also important to determine what works and doesnt work for you

personality

a bundle of characteristics that makes us similar/different from others; the patterns of behaviour that determine how we interact with others

personality theory

inherent characteristics that can be identified by consistency of their behaviour across time and situation

determinants of personality

through a person’s genes, and our interaction with our environment and others

the predictive roles of personaliity

dispositional approach, situational approach, and interactionist approach

dispositional approach

behaviour is determined by free will; we possess stable traits that influence our attitudes and behaviours, guided by individual internal factors

situational approach

people’s behaviours are determined by environmental influences; as human behaviour is reaction to context

interactionist approach

behaviours are determined by both free will and environmental influence — this is the dominant perspective within organizational behaviour

the models of personality

MBT and the big five

traits

characteristics that describe an individual’s behaviour

MBTI

the most widely used personality assessment; lacks scientific validity. includes sensing, intuiting, thinking, and feeling

big five

preferred personality theory among scientific community

MBTI qualities

introverted vs. extroverted, sensing vs. intuitive, thinking vs. feeling, and judging vs. perceiving

issues with MBTI

the types are stereotypes, putting you in a strict box. this proposes dichotomies, creating poor reliability. the descriptions appear accurate due to the barnum/forer effect

big 5 personality types

openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism

openness to experience

being flexible to change and able to think outside of the box. this is successful in fields where innovation is essential

conscientiousness

a person’s ability to regulate impulse control to engage in goal-directed behaviours, which is the most reliable predictor of job performance. this is successful for jobs that require responsibility and diligence

extraversion

reflects the tendency and intensity when encompassing the comfort and assertiveness levels in social environments. this is successful in public relation roles

agreeableness

how people treat relationships with others, which is successful in roles that require empathy and interpersonal experiences

emotional stability/neuroticism

the emotional stability of an individual through how they perceive the world; how likely they interpret events as threatening. low neuroticism is successful in roles that require handling stressful situations well

the dark triad

narcissism, machiavellianism and psychopathy, all demonstrating malevolence interpersonally

narcissism

excessive interest in oneself, overconfident in their talent. they think they are better leaders and are exploitive and selfish. they seem to get ahead, but not along

destructive narcissist leaders

fixated on issues of power, status, prestige, and superiority

constructive narcissist leaders

infuses organization with urgency, creativity, and insight

machiavellianism (mach)

the lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. one must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves. in other words, a manipulative approach to interpersonal relations; related to high intelligence

what are the values an individual with machiavellianism shows?

oppenness to manipulation, distrust on others, and prioritizing results above morality

psychopathy

callous disregard for others with reckless impulsivity, lack of control, and inability to stick long-term plans. this is hard to spot

the differences between the dark triads

mach can delay gratifications, psychopathy is impulsive, and narcissism may be the lightest

sociopath

someone with antisocial tendencies that are ascribed to social or environmental factors

core-self evaluation

focuses on the individual’s sense of control of their environment, evaluations about themselves and their abilities. the four components to this include self esteem, self efficacy, locus of control, and neuroticism

self-esteem

degree to which someone likes themselves

self-efficacy

degree to which someone finds themselves capable and effective

self-control

degree to which someone finds themselves in control of their outcomes

tolerance of ambiguity

people with high tolerance for this can do better in high stress situations, where change is rapid and complexity exists

self-monitoring

ability to adjust behaviour to external, situational factors; these people can read the environment and are good at mimicking others

self-awareness

the knowledge of ourselves and our level of capability is important to improve management skills

type A

aggressive competition, creating quick decision making leading to mistakes

type B

more easy going, creative, and relaxed