Personality
Module 2
• The stable patterns of behavior and
consistent internal states that determine
how an individual reacts and interacts
with others.
Understanding • Determined by both heredity and
environmental factors, moderated by
personality situational factors.
✓Heredity- physical stature,
temperament, reflexes, energy level
etc.
✓Environmental – physical, socio-
cultural, family
✓Situational - Exigencies
Why measure?
✓ Research indicates that assessing personality is
useful in hiring decisions.
• Means of measuring personality
Measuring ✓Self-report surveys - Individuals evaluate
personality themselves on a series of factors
✓Observer ratings - Provide an independent
assessment of personality. Tend to be more
accurate predictors of success on the job.
• Personality Traits
✓Enduring characteristics that describe an
Personality traits individual’s behaviour.
➢The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
➢The Big Five Personality Model
MBTI
• Individuals are classified on four
axes to determine one of 16
possible personality types.
• Research results on validity mixed
✓ MBTI is a good tool for self-
awareness, coaching and
counseling.
✓ Should not be used as a selection
test for job candidates.
• Take the MBTI personality test using:
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-
win/JTypes2.asp
Big Five
Personality
Model
How the Big
Five Traits
Influence
OB
• The Dark Triad – a group of negative personality
traits
The Dark Triad ✓Machiavellianism
✓Narcissism
✓Psychopathy
• Degree to which an individual is:
✓pragmatic
✓maintains emotional distance
✓believes that the ends can justify the means
Machiavellianism • High Machs vs. Low Machs
✓manipulate more
✓win more
✓are persuaded less
✓persuade others more
Narcissism
• The tendency to be arrogant, have an inflated
sense of importance, require excessive
admiration, and have a sense of entitlement.
• Narcissists tend to think that they are better
leaders than their colleagues; but their
supervisors tend to rate them as worse.
• The tendency for a lack of concern for others and a
lack of guilt or remorse when one’s actions cause
harm.
• Related to the use of hard influence tactics
Psychopathy (threats, manipulation) and bullying work
behaviour (physical or verbal threatening).
• They may be cunning, which helps them gain
power in an organization, but they do not use that
power toward healthy ends for themselves or their
organization.
Other
✓Core Self-Evaluation
Personality ✓Self-Monitoring
Attributes That ✓Proactive Personality
Influence OB
• People differ in the degree to which they:
✓Like or dislike themselves
✓See themselves as effective, capable, and in
control of their environment
Core Self-
• People with positive core self-evaluations
Evaluation perform better because they:
✓Set more ambitious goals
✓Are more committed to their goals
✓Persist longer at attempting to reach those
goals
• An individual’s ability to adjust behaviour to
external, situational factors.
• High self-monitors tend to:
✓Pay closer attention to the behaviour of
others
Self-Monitoring ✓Be more capable of conforming than low
self-monitors
✓Be more mobile in their careers
✓Receive more promotions
✓Be more likely to occupy central positions in
an organization
• A person who identifies opportunities, shows
initiative, takes action, and perseveres until
meaningful change occurs.
Proactive • People with a proactive personality will have:
Personality ✓Higher levels of job performance
✓Career success
• Actions may be positive or negative depending
on the organization and situation.
