Robbins & Judge

Organizational Behavior
14th Edition

Personality
Personality and
and Values
Values

Kelli J. Schutte
William Jewell College

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

5-1
What
What isis Personality?
Personality?
The dynamic organization within the individual of those
psychophysical systems that determine his unique
adjustments to his environment. - Gordon Allport
– The sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and
interacts with others, the measurable traits a person exhibits

Measuring Personality
– Helpful in hiring decisions
– Most common method: self-reporting surveys
– Observer-ratings surveys provide an independent assessment
of personality – often better predictors

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Personality
Personality Determinants
Determinants
 Heredity
– Factors determined at conception: physical stature, facial
attractiveness, gender, temperament, muscle composition and reflexes,
energy level, and bio-rhythms

– This “Heredity Approach” argues that genes are the source of

personality

– Twin studies: raised apart but very similar personalities

– There is some personality change over long time periods

5-3
Personality
Personality Traits
Traits
Enduring characteristics that describe an individual’s
behavior
– The more consistent the characteristic and the more
frequently it occurs in diverse situations, the more important
the trait.
Two dominant frameworks used to describe
personality:
– Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®)
– Big Five Model

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The
The Myers-Briggs
Myers-Briggs Type
Type Indicator
Indicator
 Most widely used instrument in the world.
 Participants are classified on four axes to determine one of
16 possible personality types, such as ENTJ.

Sociable and Quiet and

Assertive Shy

Practical and Unconscious

Orderly Processes

Use Reason Uses Values

and Logic & Emotions

Want Order Flexible and

& Structure Spontaneous

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The
The Types
Types and
and Their
Their Uses
Uses
 Each of the sixteen possible combinations has a name,
for instance:
– Visionaries (INTJ) – original, stubborn, and driven
– Organizers (ESTJ) – realistic, logical, analytical, and
businesslike
– Conceptualizer (ENTP) – entrepreneurial, innovative,
individualistic, and resourceful

 Research results on validity mixed

– MBTI® is a good tool for self-awareness and counseling.
– Should not be used as a selection test for job candidates.

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The
TheBig
BigFive
FiveModel
Modelof
ofPersonality
PersonalityDimensions
Dimensions

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How
How Do
Do the
the Big
Big Five
Five Traits
Traits Predict
Predict Behavior?
Behavior?
 Research has shown this to be a better framework.
 Certain traits have been shown to strongly relate to
higher job performance:
– Highly conscientious people develop more job knowledge,
exert greater effort, and have better performance.
– Other Big Five Traits also have implications for work.
• Emotional stability is related to job satisfaction.
• Extroverts tend to be happier in their jobs and have good
social skills.
• Open people are more creative and can be good leaders.
• Agreeable people are good in social settings.

See E X H I B I T 5–1
See E X H I B I T 5–1

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Other
Other Personality
Personality Traits
Traits Relevant
Relevant to
to OB
OB
 Core Self-Evaluation
– The degree to which people like or dislike themselves
– Positive self-evaluation leads to higher job performance
 Machiavellianism
– A pragmatic, emotionally distant power-player who believes that
ends justify the means
– High Machs are manipulative, win more often, and persuade more
than they are persuaded. Flourish when:
• Have direct interaction
• Work with minimal rules and regulations
• Emotions distract others
 Narcissism
– An arrogant, entitled, self-important person who needs excessive
admiration
– Less effective in their jobs

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More
More Relevant
Relevant Personality
Personality Traits
Traits
 Self-Monitoring
– The ability to adjust behavior to meet external, situational
factors.
– High monitors conform more and are more likely to become
leaders.

 Risk Taking
– The willingness to take chances.
– May be best to align propensities with job requirements.
– Risk takers make faster decisions with less information.
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Even
Even More
More Relevant
Relevant Personality
Personality Traits
Traits
 Type A Personality
– Aggressively involved in a chronic, incessant struggle to
achieve more in less time
• Impatient: always moving, walking, and eating rapidly
• Strive to think or do two or more things at once
• Cannot cope with leisure time
• Obsessed with achievement numbers
– Prized in North America but quality of the work is low
– Type B people are the complete opposite

 Proactive Personality
– Identifies opportunities, shows initiative, takes action, and
perseveres to completion
– Creates positive change in the environment

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 Relationships
Relationships Among
Among Personality
Personality Types
Types

The closer the

occupational The further
fields, the more apart the fields,
compatible. the more
dissimilar.

Need to match personality

type with occupation.
Source: Reprinted by special permission of the publisher, Psychological
Assessment Resources, Inc., from Making Vocational Choices, copyright 1973,
1985, 1992 by Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. All rights reserved.

E X H I B I T 5-7
E X H I B I T 5-7

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Still
Still Linking
Linking Personality
Personality to
to the
the Workplace
Workplace
In addition to matching the individual’s personality to the
job, managers are also concerned with:

Person-Organization Fit:
– The employee’s personality must fit with the organizational
culture.
– People are attracted to organizations that match their values.
– Those who match are most likely to be selected.
– Mismatches will result in turnover.
– Can use the Big Five personality types to match to the
organizational culture.

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 Global
Global Implications
Implications
 Personality
– Do frameworks like Big Five transfer across cultures?
• Yes, but the frequency of type in the culture may vary.
• Better in individualistic than collectivist cultures.

Summary
Summary and
and Managerial
Managerial Implications
Implications
 Personality
– Screen for the Big Five trait of conscientiousness
– Take into account the situational factors as well
– MBTI® can help with training and development

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