 PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

The concept of personality development can

be described as the vital process that every
individual goes through where certain bases
and guidelines of character and behavior
are established from which the organized
and stable traits, values and ways of
functioning are formed. the time of said
person.

These mechanisms become a reference for

the person in their interactions with the context (environmental or physical and
interpersonal or social) in which they usually operate.

personality factors
Thus, development is understood as the result of the bidirectional confluence
between more biological or internal factors (genetic inheritance) and other
contextual or external factors (environment). The former includes temperament,
which is defined by an intrinsic and innate emotional and motivational disposition
that mobilizes the subject for primary interests.

On the other hand, environmental factors can be classified into common influences
(externally originated norms, values, social and cultural beliefs) and personal
influences (particular life experiences and circumstances of each subject, such as
an illness).

It can be said, therefore, that as the subject matures biologically and incorporates
new experiences and external experiences, the process of developing one's own
personality takes place. How does this personality development occur during
childhood?

emotional development in early childhood

The most important phenomenon that characterizes the emotional development of
the boy or girl in the first years of life is the formation of the attachment or
emotional/affective bond established between the child and one or several
reference figures (usually subjects belonging to the family system, although it may
not be in all cases). Attachment is made up of three elements: attachment
behaviors, mental representations and feelings generated from the previous two.
The main function of developing the
emotional bond is both to facilitate
adaptive development in the emotional
area which allows the subject to
establish future functional and
appropriate emotional interpersonal
relationships, and to ensure balanced
general personality development.
Without this support, children are not
capable of establishing the emotional
bonds necessary to develop all their
skills.

At the same time, attachment generates a context in which children can learn and
explore their environment feeling safe, which is essential to discover their own
capabilities. These kinds of discoveries will shape their attitudes and a part of their
personality, depending on whether they feel more or less competent in the areas in
which they normally live.

The process of attachment formation

In the process of attachment formation, several phases can be distinguished
depending on the distinction that the baby learns to make about the people in his
social environment. Thus, in the first two months, his inability to discriminate
between attachment figures and other people motivates him to feel a good
predisposition for social interaction in general, regardless of the person in question.

From 6 months onwards, this differentiation becomes more pronounced, so that

the boy or girl shows his preference for the closest figures of emotional proximity.
At 8 months the “eighth month anxiety” phase occurs in which the baby shows his
rejection of strangers or people who are not part of his closest circle of attachment.

With the consolidation of the symbolic function, at 2 years of age, one is able to
internalize the permanence of the object, even if it is not physically visible, which
makes the consolidation of the emotional bond possible. Subsequently, the child
begins a stage characterized by a constant search for approval and affection from
the adult, experiencing a certain emotional dependence and once again showing a
good predisposition for general social interaction.

Finally, between 4 and 6 years old, the child's interest focuses on his or her
relationship with peers, which strengthens the beginning of the socialization stage
in environments other than the family, such as school.

The conquest of autonomy

The acquisition of the capacity for autonomy takes place in the first years of the
child's childhood, once the process of self-concept has begun to consolidate (as
differentiation from other subjects) and the emotional dependence on the adult
begins to be overcome. orient yourself to experimenting with the world
independently.

By discovering that they can interact

following the first notions of norms,
values and internalized beliefs (not
always coinciding with that of adults
understood as a learning model) from
early life experiences, their motivation is
oriented to govern their behavior based
on their own decisions. Thus, a phase
of constant ambivalence is generated
between the need to depend on the
adult and the search for autonomy with respect to him, which can lead to the
manifestation of tantrums or other behavioral alterations as a sign of the intention
to preserve his independence.

This is a delicate process, since in addition to the fact that the child can be very
difficult to handle, it requires that the adult set strict and clear educational
guidelines on the appropriate developmental path to take. This is one of the
fundamental ideas to highlight in relation to the development of the boy or girl's
autonomy.

It is important to remember that there must be a balance between the increasingly

broad freedom of action that the child adopts and the permanent role of guide and
orientation that the attachment and educational figures that the child has must play.

Another fundamental point lies in the relevance of the environmental context in

which the individual develops, which considerably shapes and influences the
process of acquiring the indicated autonomy. Therefore, each individual has its
particularities and a universal pattern cannot be established that explains this
process in a general way. Like most aspects related to the development of the
person, it is characterized by its individuality and qualitative differentiation with
respect to other subjects.

Self-awareness, self-esteem and child self-worth

The beginning of the acquisition of self-awareness or self-concept is intrinsically
related to the achievement of the object permanence phase of cognitive
development. The child internalizes that he remains the same being at different
times or situations thanks to the linguistic proliferation and development that occurs
from the second year of life. From that moment on, the subject begins to see
himself as being different from other individuals and recognize his own ideas,
values, beliefs, feelings, interests, and motivations. That is to say, he begins to
relate the environment in which he is situated with his self.

This is a process that begins at this chronological moment; Therefore, this

differentiation and establishment of individual identity is not complete at all times
and despite the fact that the aspects that are inherent to their person (personality)
are assimilated, it is
possible that some
cognitive and/or emotional
processes occur in a
different way. unconscious.

Thus, it is a process by
which what others express
and what one interprets
from their actions forms an
image of oneself. In turn,
this image is associated
with a moral evaluation of it,
which makes it more or less
positive depending on the expectations and preferences of the boy or girl.

The role of self-esteem in boys and girls

With the appearance of the self-concept, its evaluative component, self-esteem,
arises simultaneously. Self-esteem is a phenomenon that is very closely linked to
the achievement of balanced and adaptive psychological development. Therefore,
if the evaluation that the individual makes of his own value as a human being in
interaction with the most cognitive aspects and qualities related to self-concept is
positive, this fact will act as a protective factor in the future in the prevention of
intense emotional alterations, difficulties on a psychological level and, to a greater
extent, problems in social interaction with other people.

It is very relevant that there is not a very high discrepancy between the real self
(what the individual represents) and the ideal self (what the individual would like to
represent) to consolidate an adaptive and adequate or balanced psychic and
emotional development).

Another fundamental aspect is the role that external evaluations play on the level
of self-esteem that each subject presents. Thus, the image that others have of
oneself and the assessment they make of their skills or behaviors significantly
influence the child's perception of themselves.

From the third or fourth year onwards, the search for approval from the adult would
be related to this issue, since this motivation is carried out with the ultimate goal of
establishing an acceptable level of self-esteem. As mentioned above, at this stage
conflicts may arise, at the level of the child's oppositional behavior towards
educational figures and other adults, derived from the contrast between the adult's
protection and the child's search for autonomy. Therefore, a fundamental aspect to
take into account is the educational style that the parents exercise on the child.
An educational style characterized by a
balanced combination of
control/discipline/authority and
affection/understanding seems to foster
a high level of self-esteem and, in
addition, a lower probability of tantrums
and oppositional behavior. In this way, it
is essential that educators understand
the importance of the child's
progressive increase in autonomy and
that as his or her maturation as a
human being takes place, the exhaustive control of all decisions related to the child
must be gradually reduced.

Are personality, character and temperament equivalent?

Although these three terms have been used in an undifferentiated manner, the
truth is that they are not conceptual equivalents. The definition of personality as a
disposition or set of stable and permanent traits that guide behavior, reasoning and
emotional expression in a generic way, would encompass both the concept of
temperament and character.

That is to say, both temperament and character are elements that form personality
by interacting together. They cannot be isolated individually, but they help to
understand our behavioral patterns globally and in all areas of life.

Temperament refers to the innate emotional and motivational predisposition whose

manifestations are due to a more primitive biological or hereditary origin. It is a
phenomenon that is considerably stable over time and is subject to a lesser extent
to ethnic or cultural interference. On the contrary, character, of a more cognitive
and intentional nature, derives from environmental and cultural influence and is the
product of external life experiences.

Another prominent author and one of the pioneers in proposing that personality
develops from birth to death was Erik Erikson, who considered that the
development of the psychic configuration and personality are derived from the
social nature of the human being or, in other words, otherwise to social interaction.

For this author, each life stage involves a series of conflicts and problems that the
individual has to face until they are able to overcome them, growing and
strengthening their self as they are overcome and forging the way of seeing,
thinking and acting in the world of life. each subject.

 ETHICAL CONDUCT
Ethics studies human behavior, its norms,
duties and rights related to the society in
which it occurs, and indicates what
"should" or "should not" be done in a given
society.

Harlod Koontz establishes the following

applications and distinctions regarding the
concept of ethics:

Personal ethics: refers to the rules

according to which an individual conducts
his or her personal life.
Accounting ethics: refers to the code that guides the professional conduct of
accountants.
Business ethics: has to do with truth and justice, and has many aspects, such as
societal expectations, fair competition, advertising, public relations, social
responsibilities, consumer autonomy, and company behavior. companies both in
their home country and abroad.

Ethical behavior is that which society accepts as "correct" or "good" with reference
to the current moral code.

Now, social responsibility is the obligation of the company to carry out actions that
serve both its interests and the society affected by its activities. In other words, it
can be said that it is the serious consideration of the impact on society of the
company's actions.

Regarding the social responsibility of the organization, there are two points of view:
the classic one, which indicates that the only social responsibility of the
administration is to maximize the company's profits; and the socioeconomic, which
maintains that the social responsibility of the administration goes beyond the
achievement of profits, to seek protection and improve the well-being of society in
general.

Ethics is the branch of knowledge that deals with the study of the moral actions of
individuals and groups, as well as the rules and norms that govern this behavior in
a given society.
Therefore, professional ethics is the part of ethics that governs the behavior of the
individual in his or her professional practice. Without a doubt we are facing one of
the most diversified branches of ethics. For example, for business administrators,
there is no basic code of ethics. Therefore, it is up to companies to define their own
codes of conduct.
Therefore, Codes of Conduct are rules dictated, in most cases, unilaterally by
companies whose application is generally not subject to external verification
processes.
1.- Concept of Code of Ethics.
To achieve greater specialization in the field of action of ethics, Codes of Ethics are
used, which are nothing more than a compilation of the norms and rules that
determine the ideal or most appropriate behavior for a specific group of
professionals. The rules of this code may be written (as in medicine or law) or
implicit.
A code is a formal statement of principles that define standards of specific behavior
for a company. In general, it does not contain all the implicit norms of professional
behavior, because it is understood that every person who reaches a professional
level has certain training and criteria of what should or should not be done during
their performance as a professional.
It is not easy to establish the concept of what is or is not ethical. Indeed:
 Ethics goes beyond current laws. That is, certain activities may be
considered legal but not ethical. For example, child labor may be legal in
some part of the world (I wish it wasn't) but this practice is undoubtedly bad
for society. Therefore, acting in accordance with the law and established
regulations is only one part of ethical behavior. Ethics goes further...
 The subjectivity of ethics. Its variation from one society to another. Each
society or group judges different activities and processes in a different way
based on their cultural values, particular interests, specific circumstances
and influence of the environment, which usually gives rise to various
controversies about what is and is not ethical. For example, a company may
consider that it is not unethical to relocate production to countries with lower
salary levels. It is true that they benefit shareholders (who receive greater
economic benefits), distributors (who have more competitive prices),
customers (because they have a better offer) and their employees (because
they have greater job stability and/or better salaries. of the receiving
country) and to the society of the receiving country by raising its standard of
living; But perhaps unions or some associations in the country of origin do
not think the same and accuse this company of being "unethical" because it
generates unemployment in the country of origin and because it directly or
indirectly generates or promotes exploitation in second or third world
countries. pay less than in the country of origin.
 Questions involving ethics are often ambiguous. There are and will be
situations in which some may consider activities inappropriate or unethical
while others may consider them acceptable. It could even be the case that
the same activity could be considered ethical at one time and unethical at
another time. Therefore, it is recommended that companies have Codes of
Ethics in order to make known which practices the company considers
acceptable and those that are not, in order to reduce the issuance of
ambiguous judgments to a minimum.
2.- Company codes of conduct.
Sectoral self-regulation.
In close relationship with the principle
of transparency and as a vehicle for
expressing CSR policies, we have
company codes, which, as indicated,
are set by the company unilaterally.
More and more companies are
formulating their own code. From the
point of view of employees and managers it is key since, upon becoming part of
the company, they accept the moral commitment to assume said code in their
professional conduct. We are faced with a message that is sent to society in the
sense of expressing the company's commitment to assuming certain
responsibilities.
The term "self-regulation" is generally used as the antonym of "regulation", placing
the discourse then in the generic contrast between voluntariness and normativity.
This self-regulation can be understood as an individual company, but also as a
sector or territorial one.
Without a doubt, companies need them to correct the negative impacts generated
by the development of their activity and that are issued to influence the practices of
their global business partners, and as a way of informing consumers about the
principles that They continue in the production of the goods and services that they
manufacture or sell.
We are faced with very relevant instruments for the promotion of human, labor and
environmental rights, as well as measures against corruption, especially in those
countries in which public authorities do not apply minimum standards.
But this rapid development of codes, as a CSR tool, can be perceived as a
dangerous trend towards the privatization of social rights. Thus, for example, they
can only complement, and not replace, national or international legislation, social
dialogue or collective bargaining.
The key is whether this mechanism is sufficient to correct market defects and the
global economy.
Without a doubt, companies that import products from countries with little
protection of human rights will tend to adopt codes to avoid criticism, especially if
their sales depend largely on the image of the brand and the good will of the
consumer. In addition to the foreseeable positive impact on corporate reputation,
the adoption and implementation of codes of conduct can provide other business
benefits, such as an improvement in the relationship with partners, the promotion
of good corporate governance and legal compliance in the countries of operation. ,
and an improvement in quality and productivity as a result of a better work
environment.
 3.- Demand from society.
First World society demands that there be
standards of behavior, that there be codes,
that commitments be made whose
commitments are, in some way, palpable and
measurable.

Therein lies precisely the main challenge

posed by these instruments: ensuring effective
application, verification and control.

One way to facilitate this, encouraged by the European Commission, is, for
example, the adhesion of companies to codes of conduct defined by international
organizations. Let's look at his words: "The Commission considers it necessary
that the codes of conduct:

 have as common minimum reference standards the fundamental

conventions of the ILO and the OECD guidelines for multinational
companies.
 include adequate mechanisms for evaluating and controlling their
application, as well as a conformity assessment system.
 involve the social partners and other interested parties, including from
developing countries, in their preparation, application and control.
 disseminate the experiences and good practices of European companies.

The value and strength of a code will depend on its credibility and transparency.
And both are a function of the degree to which the company's workers, unions,
business partners and suppliers, consumers and other stakeholders are aware of:

 Its transparency. This is based on the dissemination and communication of

the code to all employees, and to subsidiary companies and contractors.
 Your credibility. This depends on its scope, breadth and the reinforcement
and evaluation mechanisms. Different formulas can be used to monitor and
verify the effective application of a code: through internal compliance teams;
through audits carried out by external bodies, such as consultants; or
through independent monitoring involving third parties such as local NGOs,
academic or religious institutions.

4.- Benefits of Ethical Behavior:

Ethical business management undoubtedly generates benefits. Let's look at some.
 Build trust. Every business is built on
relationships with suppliers,
customers, employees and other
groups. The strength of those
relationships is largely a function of
the amount of trust the parties have in
each other. In that sense, ethical
conduct is a f indispensable actor for
generating trust because it has the
ability to grant credibility to those who
practice it. It may even be more
effective and convenient than many
external controls, such as government
regulation.

 Attracting Good Clients, Suppliers, Employees, Distributors... The fact of not

deceiving others, of complying with what is offered, of transmitting an image
of professionalism or of respecting current laws and regulations. It is like a
magnet that attracts people who usually behave in the same way because
they identify with those actions.

 Protection against Negative Advertising. When activities are considered

ethical, it is difficult for negative publicity to occur. Therefore, ethical
behavior protects the company against negative publicity.

 Staff satisfaction. It helps employees identify what their company recognizes

as acceptable business practices, generating, on the one hand, better
decisions and, on the other hand, greater loyalty from its workers and
collaborators, who will want to continue working there doing their work in the
best possible way. .
Implementation of an internal verification system
(audit)

General company regulations