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