Individual Differences, Values, and Diversity

Define personality, describe how it is measured, and explain the factors that determine an individual’s personality.
Describe the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality framework.
Identify the key traits in the Big Five personality model.
Identify other personality traits relevant to organizational behavior.
Define values, demonstrate the importance of values, and contrast terminal and instrumental values.

Individual differences refer to the various ways people differ in their thinking, feeling, and behavior.
Understanding individual differences is essential for predicting and managing behaviors in organizational settings.
Two key factors affecting behaviors:
- Self-awareness: Understanding oneself (personality, talents, preferences, biases).
- Awareness of others: Recognizing the moods and personalities of others.

Self-concept: How individuals view themselves, encompassing physical, social, spiritual, and moral dimensions.
Self-esteem: Belief in one’s self-worth based on overall self-evaluation (confidence in abilities and acceptance).
Self-efficacy: Belief in one’s capability to accomplish specific tasks, influencing motivation and performance.

Personality: The overall combination of characteristics that define an individual’s behavior and interactions with others.
- Measured using questionnaires or tests.
Personality traits: Enduring characteristics that describe individual behavior. More consistent traits are more significant in understanding the individual.

Personality development debates whether heredity (genetics) or environment (cultural, social factors) has a greater impact.
Both factors contribute roughly equally to personality formation (50-50 influence).

Extraversion
- Outgoing, assertive, and sociable vs. reserved, shy, and quiet.
Agreeableness
- Cooperative, warm, trusting vs. cold, disagreeable, aggressive.
Emotional stability
- Calm and self-confident vs. anxious and insecure.
Openness to experience
- Creative and curious vs. conventional and familiar.
Conscientiousness
- Responsible and organized vs. distracted and unreliable.

Standardized personality tests measure individual scores on the Big Five dimensions, which can include correlations with job performance metrics.
For example, conscientiousness has been shown to predict job performance across various professions.

Social traits encompass surface-level characteristics visible during social interactions.
One aspect includes Problem-solving styles:
- Information gathering types:
- Sensation-type: Prefer order and routine, focusing on details.
- Intuitive-type: Prefer the 'big picture' and creativity.
- Evaluation styles:
- Feeling-type: Oriented towards social acceptance and conformity.
- Thinking-type: Use logic and reason to solve problems.

Locus of control:
- Internals feel responsible for their outcomes; externals attribute outcomes to outside forces.
Proactive personality:
- Individuals actively seek to change their environment versus those who adapt passively.
Authoritarianism/Dogmatism:
- Authoritarianism: Rigid beliefs and obedience to authority.
- Dogmatism: Acceptance of authority, leading to inflexibility and potential ethical issues.
Self-monitoring:
- Ability to adjust behavior based on situational cues, with high self-monitors being flexible.

Distinguishes individuals based on their responses to stress:
- Type A: Competitive, impatient, prone to aggression.
- Type B: Laid-back and patient.

Stress defined as tension from demands or uncertainties, can be positive (eustress) or negative (distress).
Work-related stressors may include task demands, role ambiguity, and interpersonal conflicts.
Positive stress can enhance performance while excessive stress can lead to burnout and reduced effectiveness.

Coping strategies:
- Problem-focused: Planning to tackle the problem.
- Emotion-focused: Reframing attitudes towards stress.
Individual differences, including personality, influence coping mechanisms.

Define as fundamental beliefs about preferable behaviors and end-states.
Values have content (importance of a mode of conduct) and intensity attributes (how important that conduct is).
Values can be categorized as:
- Terminal values: Reflect preferences for end-state achievements (e.g., happiness, freedom).
- Instrumental values: Reflect beliefs about the means of achieving desired ends (e.g., self-discipline).

Influence attitudes and motivation and guide individual perceptions, especially in organizational settings.
Misalignment of personal values with organizational values can lead to job dissatisfaction and decreased effort in job performance.