Core-Self Evaluation Characteristics
Self-Efficacy
- self-efficacy: belief in one’s ability to do a task
- generalized self-efficacy: represent individuals’ perceptions of their ability to perform across a variety of different situations
- career readiness competency desired by employers
- what can managers do?
- assign jobs accordingly
- develop employers’ self-efficacy and generalized self-efficacy by giving constructive pointers and positive feedback
- monitor employees to avoid learned helplessness by offering guided experiences, mentoring, and role modeling
Self Esteem
- self esteem: the extent to which people like or dislike themselves
- high self esteem = more inclined to handle failure better, emphasize the positive, and to take more risks
- low self esteem = tend to focus more on one’s weaknesses
- may be more dependent on others
- what can managers do?
- reinforce employees’ positive attitudes and skills
- provide positive feedback whenever possible
- break larger projects into smaller tasks and projects
- express confidence in employees’ abilities to complete their tasks
- provide coaching when employees are struggling to complete tasks
Locus of Control
- locus of control: indicates how much people believe they have control their fate through their own efforts
- internal locus of control: you believe you control your destiny
- external locus of control: you believe external forces control you
- what can managers do?
- employees with an internal locus of control should probably be placed in jobs requiring high initiative and lower compliance
- employees with an external locus of control might do better in highly structured jobs requiring greater compliance
- internals may prefer and respond more productively to incentives such as merit pay or sales commissions
Emotional Stability
- emotional stability: the extent to which people feel secure and unworried and to which they are likely to experience negative emotions under pressure
- low levels are prone to anxiety and tend to view the world negatively
- high levels tend to show better job performance