Chapter 4

Tuesday, 11 October 2022 4:50 PM

Personality and Job fit

Linking individual personality and values to the workplace
• today are less interested in an applicant’s ability to perform a specific job
than with his or her flexibility to meet changing situations and maintain
commitment to the organization.
• The effort to match job requirements with personality characteristics is
described by John Holland’s personality–job fit theory
1. Realistic: Prefers physical activities that require skill, strength, and coordination
2. Investigative: Prefers activities that involve thinking, organizing, and understanding
3. Social: Prefers activities that involve helping and developing others
4. Conventional: Prefers rule-regulated, orderly, and unambiguous activities
5. Enterprising: Prefers verbal activities in which there are opportunities to influence
others and attain power
6. Artistic: Prefers ambiguous and unsystematic activities that allow creative
expression

• Person–organization fit essentially means people are attracted to and are

selected by organizations that match their values, and they leave
organizations that are not compatible with their personalities.
Personality
• Defining Personality For our purposes, think of personality as the sum of
ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others
• when people know their personality scores are going to be used for hiring
decisions, they rate themselves as about half a standard deviation more
conscientious and emotionally stable than if they are taking the test to
learn more about themselves.14 Another problem is accuracy; a candidate
who is in a bad mood when taking the survey may have inaccurate scores.
• when people know their personality scores are going to be used for hiring
decisions, they rate themselves as about half a standard deviation more
conscientious and emotionally stable than if they are taking the test to
learn more about themselves.14 Another problem is accuracy; a candidate
who is in a bad mood when taking the survey may have inaccurate scores.
• Heredity refers to factors determined at conception. Physical stature, facial
features, gender, temperament, muscle composition and reflexes, energy
level, and biological rhythms are either completely or substantially
influenced by parentage—by your biological parents’ biological,
physiological, and inherent psychological makeup
 who is in a bad mood when taking the survey may have inaccurate scores.
• Heredity refers to factors determined at conception. Physical stature, facial
features, gender, temperament, muscle composition and reflexes, energy
level, and biological rhythms are either completely or substantially
influenced by parentage—by your biological parents’ biological,
physiological, and inherent psychological makeup
• personality is more changeable in adolescence and more stable among
adults.
• Early work on personality tried to identify and label enduring characteristics
that describe an individual’s behavior, including shy, aggressive, submissive,
lazy, ambitious, loyal, and timid. When someone frequently exhibits these
characteristics and they are relatively enduring over time and across
situations, we call them personality traits.

Personality frameworks
The most widely used and best known personality frameworks are the Myers-
Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Big Five Personality Model.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the most widely used
personality assessment instruments in the world.

• Extraverted (E) versus Introverted (I). Extraverted individuals are outgoing,

sociable, and assertive. Introverts are quiet and shy.
• Sensing (S) versus 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.
• Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F). Thinking types use reason and logic to handle
problems. Feeling types rely on their personal values and emotions.
• Judging (J) versus Perceiving (P). Judging types want control and prefer
order and structure. Perceiving types are flexible and spontaneous.

managers should consider using the Big Five Personality Model, discussed next, as
the personality selection test for job candidates instead.

The big 5 personality model

• A personality model that proposes five basic dimensions encompass most of the
differences in human personality.
• Test scores of these traits do a very good job of predicting how people behave in a variety
of real-life situations
1. conscientiousness A personality dimension that describes someone who is
responsible, dependable, persistent, and organized.
2. emotional stability A personality dimen- sion that characterizes someone as calm,
self-confident, and secure (positive) versus nervous, depressed, and insecure
(negative)- neutorisism
3. Extraversion. The extraversion dimension captures our relational approach toward
the social world. Extraverts tend to be gregarious, assertive, and sociable. On
the other hand, intro- verts (low extraversion) tend to be more thoughtful,
reserved, timid, and quiet.
4. Openness to experience. The openness to experience dimension addresses the
 self-confident, and secure (positive) versus nervous, depressed, and insecure
(negative)- neutorisism
3. Extraversion. The extraversion dimension captures our relational approach toward
the social world. Extraverts tend to be gregarious, assertive, and sociable. On
the other hand, intro- verts (low extraversion) tend to be more thoughtful,
reserved, timid, and quiet.
4. Openness to experience. The openness to experience dimension addresses the
range of interests and fascination with novelty. Open people are cre- ative, curious,
and artistically sensitive. Those at the low end of the cat- egory are conventional
and find comfort in the familiar.
5. Agreeableness. The agreeableness dimension refers to an individual’s pro- pensity
to defer to others. Agreeable people are cooperative, warm, and trusting. You
might expect agreeable people to be happier than disagree- able people - In
contrast, people who score low on agreeableness are cold and antagonistic.

Emotional Stability at Work Of the Big Five traits, emotional stability is most strongly
related to life satisfaction, job satisfaction, and reduced burnout and intentions to quit.41
People with high emotional stability can adapt to unexpected or changing demands in the
workplace.42 At the other end of the spectrum, neurotic individuals, who may be unable
to cope with these demands
Agreeable- ness is associated with lower levels of career success, perhaps because highly
agreeable people consider themselves less marketable and are less willing to assert
themselves.57

The dark trait

Outside the Big Five framework, researchers have identified three other socially
 The dark trait
Outside the Big Five framework, researchers have identified three other socially
undesirable traits, which we all have in varying degrees, are also relevant to organizational
behavior: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy
• Machiavellianism: The degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains emotional
distance, and believes that ends can justify means.
High-Mach employees, by manipulating others to their advantage, win in the short term
at a job, but they lose those gains in the long term because they are not well liked. They
do get involved in CWBs
• Narcissism: The tendency to be arrogant, have a grandiose sense of self-importance,
require excessive admiration, and possess a sense of entitlement.
Some evidence suggests that narcissists are more adaptable and make better business
decisions than others when the issue is complex.
• Psychopathy: The tendency for a lack of concern for others and a lack of guilt or remorse
when actions cause harm.
The cunning displayed by people who score high on psychopathy may thus help them gain
power in an organization but keep them from using it toward healthy ends for themselves
or their organizations.
• antisocial people are indifferent and callous toward others. They use their extraversion to
charm people, but they may be prone to violent CWBs and risky decision making.
• borderline people have low self-esteem and high uncertainty. They are unpredictable in
their inter- actions at work, are inefficient, and may have low job satisfaction
• schizotypal individuals are eccentric and disorganized. In the workplace, they can be
highly creative, although they are susceptible to work stress.
• obsessive-compulsive people are perfectionists and can be stubborn, yet they attend to
details, carry a strong work ethic, and may be motivated by achievement
• avoidant individuals feel inadequate and hate criticism. They can function only in
environments requiring little interaction.

Other personality attributes relevant to OB

Core self evaluation

Core self-evaluations (CSEs) are bottom-line conclusions individuals have about their
capabilities, competence, and worth as a person.
• Those with negative CSEs tend to dislike themselves, question their capabilities, and view
themselves as powerless over their environment.
• people with high CSEs may thrive in organizations with high corporate social
responsibility (CSR).

Self monitoring
A personality trait that measures an individual’s ability to adjust their behavior to
external, situational factors
• I’m true to myself. I don’t remake myself to please others.” Zoe is a low self-monitor.
• High self-monitor employees show less commitment to their organizations but receive
better performance ratings and are more likely to emerge as leaders.
 A personality trait that measures an individual’s ability to adjust their behavior to
external, situational factors
• I’m true to myself. I don’t remake myself to please others.” Zoe is a low self-monitor.
• High self-monitor employees show less commitment to their organizations but receive
better performance ratings and are more likely to emerge as leaders.

Proactive personality
People who identify opportunities, show initiative, take action, and persevere until
meaningful change occurs
• They have higher levels of job performance96 and creativity,97 do not need much
oversight, and are given more autonomy as a result.
• Proactive individuals are also more likely to exchange information with others in a team,
which builds trust relationships.
• Flemish unemployed individuals found that proactive individuals abandoned their job
searches sooner. It may be that proactivity includes stepping back in the face of failure

Personality, job search, and unemployment

How does personality influence our job search outcomes and operate during our periods
of unemployment?
• Overall, one review suggests that conscientious- ness and extraversion are the two
strongest predictors of job search behavior, although self-esteem and self-efficacy (parts
of CSE) are also important.
• extraversion, conscientiousness, proactive personality, and positive affect have a positive
effect, whereas negative affect, hostility, and low self-esteem and self-efficacy have a
negative effect

Personality and activation

Situation strength theory

A theory indicating that the way personality translates into behavior depends on the
strength of the situation.
• Strong situations show us what the right behavior is, pressure us to exhibit it, and
discourage the wrong behavior. In weak situations, conversely, “anything goes,” and thus
we are freer to express our personality in behavior. Thus, personality traits better predict
behavior in weak situations than in strong ones.
1. Clarity, or the degree to which cues about work duties and responsibilities are
available and clear. Jobs high in clarity produce strong situations because
individuals can readily determine what to do. For example, the job of janitor
probably provides higher clarity about each task than the job of nanny.
2. Consistency, or the extent to which cues regarding work duties and responsibilities
are compatible with one another. Jobs with high consistency rep- resent strong
situations because all the cues point toward the same desired behavior. The job of
acute care nurse, for example, probably has higher consistency than the job of
manager.
3. Constraints: or the extent to which individuals’ freedom to decide or act is limited
by forces outside their control. Jobs with many constraints represent strong
situations because an individual has limited individual discretion. Bank examiner,
for example, is probably a job with stronger constraints than forest ranger.
4. Consequences: or the degree to which decisions or actions have important
implications for the organization or its members, clients, suppliers, and so on. Jobs
 manager.
3. Constraints: or the extent to which individuals’ freedom to decide or act is limited
by forces outside their control. Jobs with many constraints represent strong
situations because an individual has limited individual discretion. Bank examiner,
for example, is probably a job with stronger constraints than forest ranger.
4. Consequences: or the degree to which decisions or actions have important
implications for the organization or its members, clients, suppliers, and so on. Jobs
with important consequences represent strong situations because the environment
is probably heavily structured to guard against mistakes. A surgeon’s job, for
example, has higher consequences than a foreign-language teacher’s.
Trait activation theory
A theory that predicts that some situations, events, or interventions “activate” a trait
more than others
• a commission-based compensation plan would likely activate individual differences
because extraverts are more reward-sensitive, than, say, open people. Conversely, in jobs
that encourage creativity, differences in openness may better predict desired behavior
than differences in extraversion. See Exhibit 4-4 for specific examples.

Values
Basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or
socially preferable to an oppo- site or converse mode of conduct or end-state of
existence.
• Open people, for example, may be more politically liberal, whereas conscientious people
may place a greater value on safe and ethical conduct.
• Terminal values: Desirable end-states of existence; the goals a person would like to
achieve during their lifetime.
• Instrumental values: Preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving one’s terminal
values.
• Generational values: Exhibit 4-5 segments employees by the era during which they
entered the workforce. Because most people start work between the ages of 18 and 23,
the eras also correlate closely with employee age.

Cultural values
Unlike personality, which is largely genetically determined, values are learned. They are
passed down through generations and vary by cultures. As researchers have sought to
understand cultural value differences, two important frame- works that have emerged are
from Geert Hofstede and the GLOBE studies.
Cultural values
Unlike personality, which is largely genetically determined, values are learned. They are
passed down through generations and vary by cultures. As researchers have sought to
understand cultural value differences, two important frame- works that have emerged are
from Geert Hofstede and the GLOBE studies.
Hofstede framework
1. Power distance: A national culture attribute that describes the extent to which a
society accepts that power in institutions and organizations is distributed
unequally.
2. Individualism: A national culture attribute that describes the degree to which
people prefer to act as individuals rather than as members of groups.
3. Masculinity: A national culture attribute that describes the extent to which the
culture favors traditional masculine work roles of achievement, power, and control.
Societal values are characterized by assertiveness and materialism.
4. Femininity: A national culture attribute that indicates little differentiation between
male and female roles; a high rating indicates that women are treated as the equals
of men in all aspects of the society.
5. Uncertainty avoidance: A national culture attribute that describes the extent to
which a society feels threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries to
avoid them.
6. Long-term versus short-term orientation. This typology measures a society’s
devotion to traditional values. People in a culture with long-term orientation look
to the future and value thrift, persistence, and tradition. In a short- term
orientation, people value the here and now; they also accept change more readily
and don’t see commitments as impediments to change.