R.John Martin

© The HuMan Creation

Personality, Behavior & AttitudesUnderstanding Individual DifferencesUnderstanding Individual Differences

Concept of Personality

Definition:Personal characteristics that lead to consistent patterns of

behavior

Important Note*: Personality alone accounts for only 2-12% of the variance in behavior

Sources of Personality Differences

• Heredity:

Research on the nature-nurture controversy* indicates that about 50% of the variance in personality is

inherited, thus setting limits on development

• Environment:

Shapes at least 50% of personality?

– Culture

– Family

– Group Membership

– Life Experiences

• Situation

Personality Structure: The “Big Five” Personality Factors

(Each factor is a continuum of many related traits)

Agreeableness

Adjustment

(Stable, confident, effective) (Nervous, self-doubting, moody)

Sociability

(Gregarious , energetic, self-dramatizing) (Shy, unassertive, withdrawn)

Conscientiousness

(Planed, neat, dependable) (Impulsive, careless, irresponsible)

(Warm, tactful, considerate) (Independent, cold, rude)Intellectual Openness

(Imaginative, curious, original) (Dull, unimaginative, literal-minded)

The Big Five Personality Factors

Sociability (Extraversion):

Outgoing, talkative, sociable, assertive

Agreeableness:

Trusting, good natured, cooperative, soft hearted

Conscientiousness:

Dependable, responsible, achievement oriented, persistent

Adjustment (Emotional stability):

Relaxed, secure, unworried

Intellectual Openness:

Intellectual, imaginative, curious, broad minded

Research finding: Conscientiousness is the best (but not a strong) predictor of job performance

Personality and Behavior: Specific Personality Traits* and Their Linkage to the “Big Five”

• Self-esteem (“self-worth”) is part of adjustment

• Locus of control (“fate vs. personal control”) is part of conscientiousness

• Introversion and extraversion (preference for thinking vs. interacting--NOT “social skills”) are part of sociability

• Dogmatism (generalized rigidity of beliefs) and authoritarianism (narrower personality type who prefers

to follow orders) are part of intellectual openness

REMEMBER: Traits are continua—people may be high, low, or in-between. Most people are in-between!

An OB Model for Studying Individual Differences

Personality traits

• Self-esteem• Self-efficacy

• Self-monitoring

The Unique Individual Forms of Self-Expression

Attitudes

Abilities

Emotions

Self-Management

Self-Efficacy

“A person’s belief about his or her chances of successfully accomplishing a specific task.”

A Model of Self-Efficacy

Sources of Self-Efficacy Beliefs:

- Prior experience- Behavior models

- Persuasion from others- Assessment of physical/emotional state

Locus of Control

Internal locus of control: belief that one controls key events and consequences in one’s life.

External locus of control: One’s life outcomes attributed to environmental factors such as luck or fate.

For discussion: What sort of locus of control “balance” do today’s managers need to seek to be successful without

experiencing excessive stress?

Seven Major Mental Abilities

Verbal comprehension: Meaning of words and reading comprehension

Word fluency: Ability to produce isolated words to meet specific requirements

Numerical: Arithmetic computation

Spatial: Perceive spatial patterns and visualize geometric shapes

Memory: Good rote memory of words, symbols, and lists

Perceptual speed: Perception of similarities and differences in figures

Inductive reasoning: Reasoning from specifics to general conclusion

Personality Type Indicator

Style ofDecision Making Judgmental (J)

Perceptive (P)

Preference forDecision Making Thinking (T)

Feeling (F)

Type of SocialInteraction Introvert (I)

Extrovert (E)

Preference forGathering Data Intuitive (N)

Sensing (S)

Personality Attributes and Behavior

Personality Attributes and Behavior

RiskTaking

Locusof Control

Self-Esteem

Type APersonality

Self-Monitoring

MachiavellianTraits

Type Personality Occupations

Realistic

Investigative

Social

Conventional

Enterprising

Artistic

Shy, Stable, Practical

Analytical, Independent

Sociable, Cooperative

Practical, Efficient

Ambitious, Energetic

Imaginative, Idealistic

Mechanic, Farmer,Assembly-Line Worker

Biologist, Economist,Mathematician

Social Worker,Teacher, Counselor

Accountant, ManagerBank Teller

Lawyer, Salesperson

Painter, Writer,Musician

Holland’s Personality-Job Fit Theory

It’s Exciting

Investigative

A

I

S

C

E

RRe

alisti

c

Artistic

Soci

al

Enterprising

Conv

enti

onal

What Are Emotions?

AffectAffectAffect MoodsMoodsMoodsEmotionsEmotionsEmotions

Six Universal Emotions

Happiness

Surprise

Fear

Sadness

Anger

Disgust

Emotions

Emotions: “Complex, patterned, organismic reactions to how we think we are doing in our

lifelong efforts to survive and flourish and to achieve what we wish for ourselves.”

Negative emotions (Goal incongruent):

- Fright/anxiety - Sadness - Disgust

-Guilt/shame - Envy/jealousy

- Anger

Positive emotions (Goal congruent)

- Happiness/joy-Pride

- Love/affection- Relief

Emotions andOrganizational Behavior

Emotions andOrganizational

Behavior

Emotions andOrganizational

Behavior

DisplayedEmotionsDisplayedEmotions

FeltEmotions

FeltEmotions

EmotionalLabor

EmotionalLabor

Emotions In The Workplace

Gender and Emotions

Intensityof Emotions

Frequency and Duration

EmotionlessPeople

External Constraints on Emotions

•Organizational Influences

•Cultural Influences

Emotions and OB Applications

Ability andSelection

InterpersonalConflict

Leadership

DecisionMakingMotivation

DeviantBehavior

The Concept of Attitude

Definition:Relatively lasting feelings, beliefs, and behavior

tendencies directed toward specific people, groups, ideas, issues, or objects.

Attitudes consist of three components:– AFFECTIVE = feelings– COGNITIVE = beliefs

– BEHAVIORAL = predispositions to act

Attitudes and Behavior

• Three principles relate attitudes to behavior:

– General attitudes best predict general behaviors

– Specific attitudes best predict specific behaviors

– The less time that elapses between attitude measurement and behavior, the more consistent will be the relationship

between them

Attitudes do not normally predict or cause behavior in a simple and direct way

Attitude-Behavior Relationship

• Importance

• Specificity

• Accessibility

• Social pressures

• Direct experience

Moderating Variables Behavioral Influence

High

Low

Job Satisfaction The general attitude towards job

Job satisfaction is enhanced when:

• Work is challenging and interesting but not tiring.

• Rewards are equitable and provide feedback.

• Working conditions match physical needs and promote goal attainment.

• Self-esteem is high.

• Others in the organization hold similar views and facilitate reward attainment.

• Policies and procedures are clear, don’t conflict, and aid goal attainment.

Organizational Commitment

Strong organizational commitment entails:

– Strong belief in acceptance of an organization’s goals and values

– Willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organization

– Strong desire to maintain membership in the organization

Higher commitment is negatively related to absenteeism and turnover, and positively related to productivity

Refers to the strength of an employee’s involvement in and identification with the organization

Changes in Organizational Commitment Over Time

• Initial Commitment is determined by individual

characteristics and degree of congruence between their expectations and organizational realities

• Subsequent Commitment is influenced by job experiences, including many of the same factors which

influence job satisfaction (such as pay, interpersonal

relationships, working conditions, advancement

opportunities, etc.)

Measuring Job Satisfaction

ProductivityProductivity

AbsenteeismAbsenteeism

TurnoverTurnover

Job

Satisfaction

and Employee

Performance

Job

Satisfaction

and Employee

Performance

Responses to Job Dissatisfaction

Destructive

Active

Passive

Constructive

Exit Voice

Neglect Loyalty

Ethical Attitudes and Behavior

• Characterized by significant individual differences

• People are more likely to behave ethically if:

– They have reached a higher level of cognitive moral development

– They possess a high internal locus of control

– Organizational culture supports and reinforces specific ethical attitudes and behavior

Types of Management Ethics

• Immoral management

– Devoid of any ethical principles, characterized by exploitation for corporate or personal gain

• Moral management

– Guided by appropriate ethical principles

• Amoral management

– Indifference toward ethical principles, characterized by a lack of awareness of ethical

issues

Types of Management Ethics

• Immoral management

– Devoid of any ethical principles, characterized by exploitation for corporate or personal gain

• Moral management

– Guided by appropriate ethical principles

• Amoral management

– Indifference toward ethical principles, characterized by a lack of awareness of ethical

issues

Steps for Instilling Moral Management

1. Identify ethical attitudes crucial for the organization’s operations, and use training

programs to foster them

2. Select employees with desired attitudes

3. Incorporate ethics in the performance evaluation process

4. Establish a work culture that reinforces ethical attitudes

Good Luck!

R. John MartinVisiting Professor – Intelligent Computing Technologies

Soft skills Trainer - SpeakerDirector - The Human Creative Minds

email : jmartin.in@gmail.com

……About the Speaker