MGTS1601 Week 3: Personality and Individual Differences

Flashcards covering personality, values, and diversity in the workplace.

Personality

The sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others.

Personality Testing

Frequently used to assess person-job fit in the workplace but has been criticized for possibility of SDR, use of biased reference groups, and need for job-specific customization.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Used in a wide variety of settings to identify strengths and inform career choices; helpful but not a good predictor of job performance.

Holland’s Personality Types

Individuals can be classified into one of six personality types, which are in turn likely to succeed in certain jobs.

Openness to experience

Creative, imaginative, curious and sensitive.

Conscientiousness

Responsible, organised, dependable and persistent.

Extraversion

Gregarious, assertive and sociable.

Agreeableness

Cooperative, good-natured and trusting.

Neuroticism

Nervous, anxious, depressed and insecure.

The Dark Triad

Characterised by high scores on three key maladaptive traits: narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism.

Important Traits at Work

Core self-evaluations, Self-monitoring, and Proactive personality.

Personality and Situations

The effects of personality traits on behaviour depends on the situation, according to situation-strength theory and trait-activation theory.

Values

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

Cultural Values: Hofstede’s Framework

Managers and employees vary on five value dimensions of national culture.

Power Distance

The extent to which a society accepts that power in institutions and organisations is distributed unequally.

Individualism

The degree to which people prefer to act as individuals rather than as members of groups.

Collectivism

Describes a tight social framework among people in groups where others expect that the group will look after them and protect them.

Masculinity versus Femininity

Masculine cultures favour traditional masculine work roles of achievement, power and control, and less gender equality in society, while feminine cultures support less differentiation between male and female roles.

Uncertainty Avoidance (UA)

The extent to a which society feels threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them.

Long-Term Orientation versus Short-Term Orientation

Long-term orientation cultures emphasise the future, thrift and persistence, while short-term orientation cultures prioritise “the here and now” and immediate rewards.

Indulgence

The degree to which a culture allows for relatively free gratification of people's emotions and desires, such as enjoying life and having fun.

Diversity

The variety of differences among people; this can include both surface-level and deep-level differences.

Equity

Fair treatment for all employees; this also means taking into consideration a person’s unique circumstances.

Inclusion

When everyone feels welcomed, respected, and valued.

Biographical Characteristics

Age, Gender, Race and ethnicity, and Disability.

Other Individual Differences

Tenure, Religion, Sexual orientation and gender identity, and Cultural identity.

Ability

An individual’s capacity to perform the various tasks in a job.