Chapter 5:

Personality & Values

 What is Personality?
Personality is the sum of ways in which an individual reacts to
and interacts with the world around them.
• Personality refers to the unique and relatively stable
patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that
characterize an individual. It influences how people interact
with others, perceive the world, and respond to various
situations.
• In organizational behavior, personality is often studied to
understand how individual differences affect work
performance, communication, motivation, and team
dynamics.
 Measuring Personality
Managers need to know how to measure personality because personality
tests are useful in hiring decisions and help managers forecast who is best
for a job.
1. Self-Report Surveys: Individuals evaluate themselves by rating themselves
on a series of factors such as “I worry a lot about the future”. It works
well when well constructed. But respondents might lie or practice
impression management. Another problem is accuracy. Candidate could
have been in a bad mood when the survey was taken.
2. Observer-Ratings Surveys: An independent assessment of personality. A
coworker or another observer does the rating. Each can tell us
something unique about an individual’s behavior.
It will be wise to use both observer ratings and self-report ratings of
personality when making important employment decisions.
 Determinants of Personality
• An early debate in personality research centered
on whether an individual’s personality was the
result of heredity (the personality predetermined
at birth) or of environment (the personality is the
result of the individual’s interaction with his or
her environment). Personality appears to be a
result of both heredity and environment.
• The determinants of personality can perhaps best
be grouped in five broad categories: biological,
cultural, family, social and situational.
 …Determinants of Personality
Biological Factors:
The study of the biological contributions to personality may be studied under three
heads:
1. Heredity: 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 in many different countries have studied thousands of
sets of identical twins who were separated at birth and raised separately but
found very similar personalities.
2. Brain: Brain is one of the most important factors of personality determinant. It is
generally believed that the father and the child adopt almost the same type of
brain stimulation and the later differences are the result of the environment in
which the child has been grown up.
3. Physical features: A vital ingredient of the personality, an individual’s external
appearance, is biologically determined. The fact that a person is tall or short, fat
or skinny, black or white will influence the person’s effect on others and this in
turn, will affect the self-concept.
 …Determinants of Personality
Cultural and Religious Factors:
• The culture in which one lives in, that may involve
traditional practices, norms, customs, procedures,
rules and regulations, precedents and values, all are
important determinants of personality. The culture
largely determines attributes toward independence,
aggression, competition, and cooperation.
• Moreover, the creed, religion and believes are also
important factors of personality determinants.
…Determinants of Personality
Family Factors:
• Family has the most significant impact on early
personality development.
• Research indicates that the overall home environment
created by the parents, in addition to their direct
influence, is critical to personality development.
• The parents play an especially important part in the
identification process, which is important to the
person’s early development.
 …Determinants of Personality
Social Factors:
• There is increasing recognition given to the role of other relevant
persons, groups and especially organizations, which greatly influence an
individual’s personality. This is commonly called the socialization process.
Socialization involves the process by which a person acquires, from the
enormously wide range of behavioral potentialities that are open to him
or her. Socialization starts with the initial contact between a mother
and her new infant. After infancy, other members of the immediate
family – father, brothers, sisters and close relatives or friends, then the
social group – peers, school friends and members of the work group,
play influential roles.
• Socialization may be one of the best explanations for why employees
behave the way they do in today’s organizations.
…Determinants of Personality
Situational Factors:
• An individual’s personality, while generally stable
and consistent, does change in different situations.
The different demands of different situations call
forth different aspects of one’s personality.
• For example, a person’s behavior will be totally
different when he is in his office, in front of his
boss, when compared to his hangout with old
friends in a bar.
 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was constructed by Isabel Briggs Myers
and her mother Katharine Cook Briggs. The MBTI is the most widely used
personality-assessment instrument in the world. It is a 100-question personality
test that asks people how they usually feel or act in particular situations. On the
basis of their answers, respondents are classified as -

1. Extroverted (E) or Introverted (I): Extroverted individuals are outgoing, sociable,

and assertive. Introverts are quiet and shy.

2. Sensing (S) or Intuitive (N): Sensing types are practical and prefer routine and
order, and they focus on details. Intuitives rely on unconscious processes and look
at the “big picture.”

3. Thinking (T) or Feeling (F): Thinking types use reason and logic to handle
problems. Feeling types rely on their personal values and emotions.

4. Judging (J) or Perceiving (P): Judging types want control and prefer ordered
and structured. Perceiving types are flexible and spontaneous.
 …Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Combining one preference from each pair results in 16 personality types, such as:
1. INTJ – The Architect (Strategic, independent, and driven by ideas)
2. INTP – The Logician (Innovative, curious, and loves solving complex problems)
3. ENTJ – The Commander (Bold, confident, and natural leaders)
4. ENTP – The Debater (Energetic, quick-witted, and loves intellectual challenges)
5. INFJ – The Advocate (Insightful, principled, and driven by deep values)
6. INFP – The Mediator (Idealistic, empathetic, and creative)
7. ENFJ – The Hero (Charismatic, inspiring, and focused on helping others)
8. ENFP – The Campaigner (Energetic, imaginative, and emotionally expressive)
9. ISTJ – The Logistician (Responsible, detail-oriented, and dependable)
10. ISFJ – The Defender (Loyal, gentle, and deeply caring)
11. ESTJ – The Executive (Organized, practical, and natural managers)
12. ESFJ – The Diplomat (Warm-hearted, social, and supportive)
13. ISTP – The Skillful (Hands-on, problem-solving, and loves tools)
14. ISFP – The Adventurer (Sensitive, artistic, and lives in the moment)
15. ESTP – The Entrepreneur (Energetic, action-oriented, and loves risk)
16. ESFP – The Entertainer (Fun-loving, spontaneous, and people-focused)
 The Big Five Model
Lewis Goldberg identified five basic dimensions as primary factors of personality. The
following are the Big Five factors:
1. Extraversion: The extraversion dimension captures our comfort level with
relationships. Extraverts tend to be gregarious, assertive, and sociable. Introverts tend
to be reserved, timid, and quiet.
2. Agreeableness: The agreeableness dimension refers to an individual’s propensity to
defer to others. Highly agreeable people are cooperative, warm, and trusting. People
who score low on agreeableness are cold, disagreeable, and antagonistic.
3. Conscientiousness: The conscientiousness dimension is a measure of reliability. A highly
conscientious person is responsible, organized, dependable, and persistent. Those who
score low on this dimension are easily distracted, disorganized, and unreliable.
4. Emotional Stability: The emotional stability taps 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.
5. Openness to Experience: The openness to experience dimension addresses range of
interests and fascination with novelty. Extremely open people are creative, curious,
and artistically sensitive. Those at the other end of the category are conventional and
find comfort in the familiar.
Model of How Big Five Traits Influence OB Criteria
 The Dark Triad
The Dark Triad is a collection of negative personality traits
consisting of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy.
1. Machiavellianism: The degree to which an individual is
pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and believes that
ends can justify means.
2. Narcissism: The tendency to be arrogant, have a grandiose
sense of self-importance, require excessive admiration, and
possess a sense of entitlement.
3. Psychopathy: The tendency for a lack of concern for others
and a lack of guilt or remorse when actions cause harm.
 DISC Personality Types
The DISC personality types is a behavior assessment tool developed by
psychologist William Moulton Marston. It classifies people into four main
personality traits:

1. Dominance: This person places emphasis on accomplishing results and

strategic thinking. They are confident, sometimes dull, outspoken, and
demanding.

2. Influence: This person places emphasis on influencing or persuading others.

They tend to be enthusiastic, optimistic, open, trusting, and energetic.

3. Steadiness: This person places emphasis on cooperation, sincerity, loyalty,

and dependability. They tend to have calm, thoughtful, and don’t like to be
rushed.

4. Conscientiousness: This person places emphasis on quality and accuracy,

expertise and competency. They enjoy their independence, demand the
details, and often fear being wrong.
 Type A and Type B Personalities
The Type A and Type B personality theory is a
concept developed in the 1950s by cardiologists
Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman. It categorizes
individuals based on their behavioral patterns, stress
response, and temperament, particularly in relation
to heart health and performance.
• Type A: Competitive, time-urgent, aggressive
• Type B: Relaxed, patient, easy-going
Other Personality Traits Relevant to OB
1. Core Self-Evaluation: The degree to which
individual likes or dislikes himself or herself, whether
the person sees himself or herself as capable and
effective and whether the person feels in control of
his or her environment or powerless over the
environment.
People with positive core self-evaluation perform
better because they set more ambitious goals, are
more committed to their goals and persist longer at
attempting to reach these goals.
 …Other Personality Traits Relevant to OB
2. Self-Monitoring: A personality trait that measures an
individual’s ability to adjust his or her behavior to external,
situational factors.
 High self-monitors can adjust their behavior to external
situational factors. They are highly sensitive to external cues
and behave differently in different situations. They tend to pay
closer attention to the behavior of others, receive better
performance ratings, show less commitment to their
organization, are more mobile in their careers, receive more
promotions and central position in an organization.
 Low self-monitors are unable to adjust their behavior to fit
changing situations. They always display their true dispositions
and attitudes in every situation.
 …Other Personality Traits Relevant to OB
3. Proactive Personality: People who identify
opportunities, show initiative, take action, and
continue until meaningful change occurs.
Proactive individuals create positive change in their
environment, regardless of, or even in spite of,
constraints or obstacles.
Proactive individuals are more likely to be satisfied
with work and help others more with their tasks,
largely because they build more relationships with
others.
 Personality–Job Fit Theory
• This is a match between an individual &
requirements of a specific job.
• John Holland, in his personality–job fit theory,
presents six personality types and proposes that
satisfaction and the propensity to leave a position
depend on how well individuals match their
personalities to a job.
• The theory argues that satisfaction is highest and
turnover is lowest when personality and occupation
are in agreement.
…Personality–Job Fit Theory
Personality–Organization Fit Theory
• This is a match between an individual & broader
organizational attributes.
• The personality–organization fit theory argues that
people are attracted to and selected by organizations
that match their values, and they leave organizations
that are not compatible with their personalities.
• Following these guidelines at the time of hiring should
identify new employees who fit better with the
organization’s culture, which should, in turn, result in
higher employee satisfaction and reduced turnover.
 Values
• Values are a collection of guiding principles, what an
individual considers to be morally right and desirable in
life, especially regarding personal conduct.
• Values represent important and long-lasting beliefs or
ideals shared by the members of a culture about what
is good or bad and desirable or undesirable.
• Values represent basic convictions that 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.
Video Clip:
Values
 Importance of Values
1. Value provide understanding of the attitudes,
motivation, and behaviors.
2. It influence our perception of the world
around us.
3. It represent interpretations of “right” and
“wrong”.
4. It imply that some behaviors or outcomes are
preferred over others.
5. It influences attitudes and behavior.
 Rokeach Value Survey
Milton Rokeach created the Rokeach Value Survey. It consists
of two sets of values – terminal and instrumental – each
containing 18 individual value items.
1. Terminal Values: It refers to desirable end-states. These are
the goals a person would like to achieve during his or her
lifetime. Example: Prosperity and economic success, Freedom,
Health and well-being, World peace, Social recognition, and
Meaning in life.
2. Instrumental Values: It refers to preferable modes of behavior,
or means of achieving the terminal values. Example: Self-
improvement, Autonomy and self-reliance, Personal
discipline, kindness, Ambition, and Goal-orientation.
…Rokeach Value Survey
 Hofstede’s Five Value Dimensions
Geert Hofstede, in the late 1970s, surveyed more than
116,000 IBM employees in 40 countries about their work-
related values and found that managers and employees vary on
five value dimensions of national culture:
1. Power Distance: Power distance describes the degree to which
people in a country accept that power in institutions and
organizations is distributed unequally.
2. Individualism versus Collectivism: Individualism is the degree to
which people prefer to act as individuals rather than as
members of groups. Collectivism emphasizes a tight social
framework in which people expect others in groups of which
they are a part to look after them and protect them.
 …Hofstede’s Five Value Dimensions
3. Masculinity versus Femininity: The degree to which the
culture favors traditional masculine work roles of
achievement, power, and control, as opposed to viewing
men and women as equals.
4. Uncertainty Avoidance: The degree to which a society feels
threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries
to avoid them.
5. Long-term versus Short-term orientation: Long-term
orientation is a national culture that emphasizes the future,
thrift, and persistence. Short-term orientation is a national
culture that emphasizes the past and present, respect for
tradition, and fulfillment of social obligations.
THE END