OB-unit 4 (1).pptx

International University of Management. OBE0S2: Unit 4:Personality and Values Unit 4: Learning Objectives After studying this chapter you should be able to:  Define personality, describe how it is measured, and explain the factors that determine an individual’s personality. ...

International University of Management. OBE0S2: Unit 4:Personality and Values Unit 4: Learning Objectives After studying this chapter you should be able to:  Define personality, describe how it is measured, and explain the factors that determine an individual’s personality.  Identify the key traits in the Big Five personality model.  Demonstrate how the Big Five traits predict behavior at work.  Identify other personality traits relevant to OB.  Define values, demonstrate the importance of values, and contrast terminal and instrumental values.  Compare generational differences in values and identify the dominant values in today’s workforce. Define personality, describe how it is measured, and explain the factors that determine an individual’s personality Personality is a dynamic concept, meaning it is changing all the time, an that is the total of growth and development of a psychological system for the individual. This suggests it includes all of the components of the inner self and their aggregate becomes greater than any of the parts. So the text definition is that personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others. Managers need to know how to measure personality, is that personality tests are useful in hiring decisions and help managers forecast who is best for a job. The most common means of measuring personality is through self-report surveys. Observer-ratings surveys provide an independent assessment of personality. measured, and explain the factors that determine an individual’s personality cont….. An early argument centered on whether or not personality was the result of heredity or of environment. Personality appears to be a result of both influences. Heredity refers to those factors that were determined at conception. The heredity approach argues that the ultimate explanation of an individual’s personality is the molecular structure of the genes, located in the chromosomes. Researchers have studied thousands of sets of identical twins that were separated at birth. Popular characteristics include shy, aggressive, submissive, lazy, ambitious, loyal, and timid. These are personality traits. Early efforts to identify the primary traits that govern behavior often resulted in long lists that were difficult to generalize from and provided little practical guidance to organizational decision makers. Identify the key traits in the big five personality model An impressive body of research supports that five basic dimensions underlie all other personality dimensions. The five basic dimensions are Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional stability, Openness to experience. Extraversion is a comfort level with relationships. Extroverts tend to be outgoing, assertive, and sociable. Introverts tend to be reserved, timid, and quiet. Agreeableness is individual’s propensity to defer to others. High agreeableness people are Identify the key traits in the big five personality model cont….. Conscientiousness is a measure of reliability. A high conscientious person is responsible, organized, dependable, and persistent. Those who score low on this dimension are easily distracted, disorganized, and unreliable. Emotional stability describes a person’s ability to withstand stress. People with positive emotional stability tend to be calm, self-confident, and secure. Those with high negative scores tend to be nervous, anxious, depressed, and insecure. Openness to experience suggests the range of interests and fascination with novelty. Extremely open people are creative, curious, and creatively sensitive. Those at the other end of the openness category are conventional and find comfort in the familiar. Demonstrate how the big five traits predict behavior at work Research has shown relationships between these personality dimensions and job performance. Employees who score higher for example in conscientiousness develop higher levels of job knowledge. Conscientiousness is as important for managers as for front-line employee. The study found conscientiousness— in the form of persistence, attention to detail, and setting of high standards—was more important than other traits. These results attest to the importance of conscientiousness to organizational success. Although Demonstrate how the big five traits predict behavior at work cont…… Of the Big Five traits, emotional stability is most strongly related to life satisfaction, job satisfaction, and low stress levels. This is probably true because high scorers are more likely to be positive and optimistic and experience fewer negative emotions. They are happier than those who score low. People low on emotional stability are hyper vigilant (looking for problems or impending signs of danger) and are especially vulnerable to the physical and psychological effects of stress. Extraverts tend to be happier in their jobs and in their lives as a whole. They experience more positive emotions than do introverts, and they more Demonstrate how the big five traits predict behavior at work cont…… Finally, extraversion is a relatively strong predictor of leadership emergence in groups; extraverts are more socially dominant, “take charge” sorts of people, and they are generally more assertive than introverts. One downside is that extraverts are more impulsive than introverts; they are more likely to be absent from work and engage in risky behavior such as unprotected sex, drinking, and other impulsive or sensation-seeking acts. One study also found extraverts were more likely than introverts to lie during job interviews. Individuals who score high on openness to experience are more creative in science and art than those who score low. Because creativity is important to leadership, open people are more likely to be effective leaders, and more comfortable with ambiguity and change. Demonstrate how the big five traits predict behavior at work cont…… They cope better with organizational change and are more adaptable in changing contexts. Recent evidence also suggests, however, that they are especially vulnerable to workplace accidents. You might expect agreeable people to be happier than disagreeable people. They are, but only slightly. When people choose romantic partners, friends, or organizational team members, agreeable individuals are usually their first choice. Agreeable individuals are better liked than disagreeable people, which explains why they tend to do better in interpersonally oriented jobs such as customer service. They also are more compliant and rule abiding and less likely to get into accidents as a result. People who are agreeable are more satisfied in their jobs and contribute to organizational performance by engaging in citizenship behavior. They are also less likely to engage in organizational deviance. One downside is that agreeableness is associated with lower levels of career success (especially earnings). Define values, demonstrate the importance of values, and contrast terminal and instrumental values Values represent basic convictions in a person. A specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence. Values have both content and intensity attributes. An individual’s set of values ranked in terms of intensity is considered the person’s value system. Values have the tendency to be stable. The importance of values lay the foundation for the understanding of attitudes and motivation. Values generally influence attitudes and behaviors. We can predict reaction based on understanding values. Terminal Values refer to desirable end states of existence. These are the goals that a person would like Linking an Individual’s personality and values to the workplace People high on extraversion fit well with aggressive and team-oriented cultures, People high on agreeableness match up better with a supportive organizational climate than one focused on aggressiveness, People high on openness to experience fit better in organizations that emphasize innovation rather than standardization.